It’s the rainy season once again and that also means it’s the season of flooding. Filipinos have, perhaps, gotten used to it by now and we have learned to simply ignore the images and stories that have become familiar this time of year. We have learned to ignore the images of trash in the estero, plastic waste blocking the drains, garbage floating in the floodwaters, etc. In the oceans we see sea creatures dying because of too much plastic and other trash in the water.
Looking at our own household, we would have an idea of how much trash we generate on a daily basis— in our country and in the world. It doesn’t take much to conclude that we have indeed become a society that consumes too much. Our landfills are overflowing, many businesses just don’t care about their use of non-biodegradable materials and the way they dispose of their trash. Aside from this, the landfills are toxic—the toxins leach into the soil and poison our oceans.
Governments are doing what they can and organizations are making huge contributions, too. Apparently, all this is not enough to save the planet. Each person needs to do his or her share to minimize the waste and to help protect our only home. There are many efforts to this end, both locally and worldwide. One of these is the campaign to live a zero waste lifestyle. In the Philippines there are communities and individuals trying to reduce the amount of waste they produce on a daily basis. As we enter another wet season, it would be good to consider joining the movement to be an Earth warrior and to learn what we can do to help save our planet.
Authorities on environment conservation have declared that recycling is only a small part of the solution, because only a small percentage of plastic, for example, is actually recycled. So it is really better to reduce first or to reuse. Some people say the first line of defense is to actually refuse. Refuse single-use items, refuse plastic straws, refuse plastic bags, refuse too much packaging and refuse the things that you don’t really need.
Evaluate the things that you need so you can reduce them. How many pairs of shoes do you really need? How many types of cleaners, for example, do you have in your home? Do you still use tissues or have completely transitioned to handkerchief? Buy wisely and ask yourself first if you really need something before you pay for it. If you can make do with a used or second-hand item rather than getting a new one, then that would be better.
I will share more tips on living a zero waste lifestyle in my next column. In the meantime, let’s all start thinking about how we can reduce the waste in our daily lives.
To be continued