By Erin Nery
It seems as if everyone is becoming more aware of the idea of “going green”. This means making changes, no matter how small or big, to make more environmentally-friendly choices and decisions. As humans, we can make changes to live a more sustainable lifestyle and reduce our carbon footprint.
Living eco-friendly
Nowadays, people have become more conscious in their lifestyle to preserve our environment. A zero-waste lifestyle means not just saving natural resources, but everything in the environment. This can be done by reducing our consumption of single-use plastic products. According to data from the Ocean Conservancy’s TIDES system, plastic straws are the 11th most found trash in ocean cleanups as of early last year. One of the most popular single-use alternatives to plastic are metal straws. However, there are other reusable alternatives, such as having a cutlery set instead of using disposable plastic utensils. The cutlery set, is typically made from materials like bamboo, metal or stainless steel. These can be washed and reused many times, rather than thrown away. Opting to bring grocery bags for the grocery and containers, instead of plastic water bottles, can also cut down on plastic waste.
Sustainable living tips
There is a notion that the cost of “going green” is an expensive lifestyle. It is important to know where to find eco-friendly products that you need to help reduce plastic pollution. It will be easier to practice the lifestyle when you already know where to get these zero-waste products. Places like the talipapa, or fish market, can be plastic-free as long as you bring your own containers. There are also zero-waste markets, like the Humble Market, which gives the option to weigh your items in the containers you bring. Zero-waste shops have slowly made their efforts to reduce single-use waste and lessen people’s impact on the environment. Every one plays an important role in protecting the environment and keeping it clean. When we do our duty to take care of the environment, we can make the world a better place. Not just for us, but also for animals and the generations to come.
Sustainability on a bigger scale
In the Philippines almost 48 million shopping bags are being used each day, according to a report by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. It also showed that Filipinos use an average of 591 pieces of sachets. Sachets are affordable and convenient for consumers, yet a major contributor to plastic waste. Unilever Philippines, which sells products in single-use sachets, launched a project last year for recycling sachets. According to them, their plastic packaging will be fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Plastic can take thousands of years to decompose in landfills. In 2020 Starbucks announced that they will make an effort to eliminate single-use plastic straws in its stores around the world and replace them with a new recyclable lid. Starbucks and Unilever Philippines are among the many companies who are becoming more eco-friendly.