Through time, plastic wastes have grown up into mountains of garbage. Contrary to what we know, a simple plastic bag can ruin the planet we live in. This knowledge, however, is no longer an excuse today. In the past, many warnings have been given but people were just defiant and heedless. The rise of many manufacturers of plastic and the changing lifestyle of packaging has brought enormous impact on the environmental problem we face today.
Over time, garbage composed of decomposable plastic has grown into mountains and mountains of wastes. It has remarkably buried hundreds of people, children, women and even able-men when the Payatas dumpsite eroded in July 2000. It has killed the lives of many rivers, lakes, swamps and other fresh bodies of water. Now, the plastics that have accumulated continued to emit methane gas that continually destroying the ozone layer. Plastic garbage is also the main reason for the flash floods that immersed towns every time a typhoon visits the country. Few years from now, more disastrous and unimaginable tragedies can probably shock the world if we continue to neglect the call to save the earth. However, there are various simple ways that we can do in order to spare our planet from the nature’s recompense.
Step one would be abating the generation of plastic wastes. Yes, it is unavoidable to use and to throw away plastic wastes but definitely we can minimize our use of plastic bags. Here are the simple ways we can individually contribute to in saving our planet from the threats of plastic bags.
1. Reduce. When buying in market, please bring with you plastic bag big enough to contain the veggies, fruits or any items you buy. Instead of having one plastic bag for every item you buy, place it all in one plastic bag only.
2. Reuse. Usable plastic bags can be used again the next day you buy goods. The next day you go market or store, bring bags of your own and reuse it instead of having another plastic bag that will soon add in your trash bin.
3. Recycle. Instead of adding up plastic bags into your garbage can, include it in your recyclable items and sell it to junkshops that buys plastic bags/items.
4. Buy in bulk. Instead of buying items in sachets, buy in plastic bottles. Sachets are made of plastic materials that decompose. Aside from saving, empty bottles can also be a source of income by selling it to junkshops.
5. Use cloth bag. Cloth bags are recyclable bags, useful and trendy. This is an effective way of minimizing plastic waste.
These are merely simple wastes that one can easily do. Determination and conscientiousness are merely required. But if you want to go farther, you can campaign for these tips and you can also join campaign in using recyclable bags instead of plastic bags. Apart from that, we can also jointly propose or support bills restricting use of plastic bags.
