SANCTUARY ASIA, 2018 MAY 25Everyday habits matter! Let’s be kind to the
planet, animals and ourselves!
EarthManners
Did you know, in 1869 John Hyatt
invented the first synthetic plastic called
‘celluloid’ for the noble purpose of
replacing ivory in the making of billiards
balls, so that wild elephants were not
killed for their tusks?
Plastics were invented with good
intentions! But over the years it has
creeped into everything. ‘Single-use’
plastic (things that are used only once
and thrown away such as plastic spoons,
straws, water bottles, coffee stirrers)
reared its ugly head.
The problem with plastic is that it remains
in the environment for hundreds and
hundreds of years piling up and poisoning
our planet as it leaches its chemicals into
the soil and water.Many of the
oceans in the
world now have
floating ‘islands’
of toxic plastic
trash that get
caught up in
swirling currents.
Say no to straws. Plastic straws are
used on a large scale and usually end up
in our oceans. A distressing video of a sea
turtle with a plastic straw lodged deep in
its nose had recently gone viral. Refuse
plastic straws and ask your friends and
family to do the same. The next time
you have a juice or coconut water and
are offered a straw, just refuse it and
explain why you did.
Befriend a bottle. Don’t leave
home without a reusable water bottle
and you will never have to buy a plastic
one again. If you have old plastic bottles,
reuse them or turn them into pen stands
or bird feeders... or better still, grow
plants in them!
Grab a bag. When you know you’re
going to the shops – carry your own
bag! When buying food or drink, take a
steel or reusable plastic container with
you. When out shopping for clothes
and shoes, take a backpack! A sudden
purchase? Make sure yourhandbag always has a foldable shopping
bag inside. Where there is a will, there is
a way – recently a shop, Ecoposro, in Goa,
went ‘trash free’. It can be done!
Consume less. Buy less plastic. Buy
it only when you really have to. Recycle!
The less plastic you use, the less plastic
ends up in landfills and in our oceans.
Take care of yourself. Synthetic
plastics release toxins into the food and
drink that it contains, creating serious
health complications such as cancer. For
your health and that of the planet, use
eco-friendly alternatives to plastic. Drive
the change! Make sure your parents,
teachers and friends join the good fight
against plastic pollution too!handbag always has a foldable shoppingPlastic has managed to reach the most
remote corners of the Earth, killing
millions of animals that consume them,
but its most devastating effects can
be seen in our oceans where tonnes
of garbage has collected and created
‘islands’ of toxic trash.
Cub kids, it’s not a hopeless situation.
Each one of us CAN help to stop this
human addiction to plastic. Here are
some easy ways to start: