Plastic Plastic Everywhere… Not a piece to degrade…

CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK/NUI GALWAY

Disposable Masks and PPE kits and sanitizer bottles/sprays are a norm and essential commodity too, looking at the current pandemic situation. They cannot be devalued for the protection they provide...

But, are we looking at a plastic pandemic after this? All these would be disposed and will end up in the ecosystem, be it our soil or the water bodies.

Undoubtedly, we have bigger things to work on right now, curbing the Corona infection, saving as many lives as possible, developing a vaccine/medication to fight the virus, but we have a plastic monster also gaping wide at us. The issue is too sensitive to delve into does and don’ts, but as WHO mentioned in its study that medical masks/masks with respirators are required by health workers or people in close proximity with COVID-19 patients, the common public can opt for effective cloth masks, guidelines for which are given on WHO and medical organization’s sites as well. This will bring down the number of disposable, non-degradable masks considerably well. A lot of people are travelling around, in flights and trains, wearing PPE kits. In times like these, unnecessary travels could well be avoided. Social distancing is the best way to avoid unnecessary exposure to the virus.

This is a personal observation and an appeal to take all precautions and maintain social distancing all the time till measures to effectively contain this deadly virus are developed.

Scanning our daily lives and plastic consumption:

Track down the amount of plastic around, water bottles, condiment jars, beverages, soda, grocery boxes, shampoo, conditioner, face wash, lotions, and takeaway boxes. The list seems endless. And if the plastic sheets/polythene bags and wrappers are included then it would be daunting.

There are endless studies that prove that harmful and carcinogenic chemicals leach out of many plastic items when hot or reactive products are stored in them. Imagine the amount of chemicals we are consuming in our food/beverage through plastic containers.

The plastics will be on the planet, long long after we are gone and it will continue to pile up and fill landfills and oceans and sub-soils. And will seep chemicals too. There soon would be more plastic than aquatic animals in the water bodies, corals are disappearing, fishes are depleting, so much of flora and fauna is already extinct, many are endangered and many more vulnerable.. Imagine sitting on a beach with bottles around and looking over the ocean with bottles and canisters afloat. Going to the mountains and the path is strewn with water bottles instead of flowers, moss or ferns. It’s horrifying to imagine but, it is not a figment of imagination. It is a possibility, a definite future possibility.

We can take small steps to reduce the plastic footprint. 

Ban on single use plastic: plastic that is disposed after single usage should be banned altogether. Reusable plastic is also to be ditched yet it is a slight tiny bit better than single use plastic.

Replacing daily items with steel or ceramic or glass containers: Containers for water, beverage, soda, coffee, tea, straws in the drinks, food boxes, all these can be easily replaced with greener material. And the bonus would be not consuming the horrendous chemicals that seep in our eatables.

Switch to DIYs (Do It Yourself): The conventional cosmetic items are loaded with chemicals, parabens, sulphates etc. many of these are carcinogenic and harm our organs in innumerable ways. Natural products, made with things at home are much more health and cost effective. In one of the talks of a naturopath, he said that “can we eat that shampoo or lotion? If we cannot put it inside our body then why are we putting it on our body?” it does makes sense. DIYs maybe messy or time consuming but definitely do not harm the body and their effects are long lasting, healthy and sustainable. Internet and social media is full of DIY recipes for almost everything.

Pack a Bag: Carrying a bag for shopping should be inculcated as a habit. Grocery, vegetable shopping items can be packed in our own bags and tons of plastic would be bypassed.

Customer is the king... As is the demand so is the supply… Markets function on these principles, once the customer will switch to greener products, the corporate would too.

Green Earth is possible.