Have you ever considered the sheer volume of plastic we consume daily, weekly, monthly? And more crucially, how much of that very same plastic becomes obsolete the following day, week, or month? Probably not; we’re largely unaccustomed to truly reflecting on our waste, ingrained as we are in a “here and now” and “disposable” mentality. However, the time to embrace change is upon us, and we firmly believe that if something has drawn you to read this, you too recognize that the moment has arrived to demonstrate gratitude and respect for the environment that sustains us. So, how do we proceed? The initial and most vital step is awareness. For once we are conscious of our impact, we become inherently more inclined to modify our daily habits in service of a larger, shared objective: the safeguarding of our planet.
Plastic waste: the numbers speak for themselves
The numbers supporting the immediate need for change are staggering: National Geographic has estimated that every year, 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the oceans, which is equivalent to throwing five garbage bags every 30 centimeters of coastline worldwide.
Furthermore, plastic production has increased exponentially from 1950 to 2015, reaching 448 million tons. And the worst part is that researchers believe this figure could double by 2050.
The island that is there.
There’s an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that formed in recent decades. An island that is the emblem of the last seventy years of human activity. An island that has no rocks, stones, or sand, nor vegetation, but tons and tons of garbage. A plastic island. It’s the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a stretch of waste estimated to extend to the equivalent of the surface area of the United States. Do we really want to live in a place made of garbage, where flora and fauna no longer exist, as if we were the next protagonists of the animated 1 film Wall-E?
Action!
Even though significant damage has already been done to the environment, it’s time to change course and adopt small but meaningful measures to modify our daily lives.
Everyone can do their part, but they have to want to!
We can make a difference, both as individual citizens and as public and private entities. How? By reducing all those unnecessary plastic consumptions that have characterized our habits until today. Plastic bags, straws, and bottles are all lightweight objects for us, but they weigh heavily on the environment since they take anywhere from 20 to 450 years to degrade.
Why not make our cleaning more sustainable too?
Let’s think about it! All the bottles you periodically buy, empty, and throw away are unnecessary plastic that could be easily avoided, thus reducing both the pollution caused by production and that due to disposal. Alternatives exist and are more practical than you think, such as bulk detergents or the very convenient water-soluble tablets. This way, you’ll have a single, reusable clean bottle for your daily cleaning.
It’s from small actions that we can begin to improve our habits and make our contribution towards a brighter tomorrow.