ON TUESDAY, June 5, is World Environment Day.
In fact, the World Environment Day is held every June 5 every year. The purpose of the Day is to raise awareness of the environment and its importance in our daily life.
Why is the environment important? Because without it, we and all other living things will die, for it is our life support system.
This year’s Environment Day focus is “Beat Plastic Pollution.”
Indeed, plastic is a major cause of environmental degradation and pollution. Plastic is in bags, beauty products and in packages of most of the food we eat. Plastic is one of the biggest pollutants on our planet.
Studies show that every year, 300 million tons of plastic is produced and only 12 percent is recyclable, leaving the rest to litter landfill sites and tangle in the stomachs of marine wildlife.
But while plastic is all around us, there's never been a better time to try and make lifestyle changes to make our world a little greener, reduce pollution, and help save the environment and the Earth.
In our country, fortunately, there are cities that had not only passed anti-plastic ordinances but more importantly, strictly implemented and enforced it.
For example, in Dumaguete City, the use of plastic bags is totally banned at the Dumaguete City Public Market, in all days of the week.
Dumaguete’s "No Plastic Everyday" policy, pursuant to a city ordinance, enjoins stores and buyers at the public market to use alternative bags for their purchases, such as baskets, the bayong, netted bags, sacks, and even recyclable plastic bags.
In Baguio City, their anti-plastic ordinance covers all business activities and establishments in the city including city government schools and offices. It prohibits the use of a plastic bag or polystyrene foam container for goods or items purchased or serving food or drink, take out or dine in, to customers in polystyrene containers or in plastic bags.
At Baguio city market, buyers are urged to bring their own containers to pack their purchases of meat and fish as well as their personal bags to carry goods.
The basic question to ask ourselves now is: What can we do reduce plastic use in our everyday life to help the environment?
There are many sensible ways wherein we can reduce our plastic waste, among them are:
1. Stop using plastic straws, even in restaurants.
2. Use a reusable produce bag. A single plastic bag can take 1,000 years to degrade. Purchase or make your own reusable produce bag and be sure to wash them often!
3. Reduce or eliminate the use of bottled water for drinking. Carry a refillable water jug.
4. Avoid buying frozen foods because their packaging is mostly plastic. Even those that appear to be cardboard are coated with a thin layer of plastic. Plus you'll be eating fewer processed foods!
5. Don't use plasticware at home and request restaurants not pack them in your take-out box.
6. If you are using a razor to shave, use a razor with replaceable blades instead of a disposable one.
Actually, the care for the environment starts at home, so each of us can help reduce our impact on the environment and do our share to protect it.
Times are changing, and it’s now time to change our habit of using plastic. For the love of environment is the love of ourselves.
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