The technological revolution and the progress made by humans is phenomenal. It has made the impossible become possible. Be it the field of automobile, medicine, space, technology or infrastructure. Humans are leading in every sector. But in the quest of so many achievements we have ended up damaging the Earth. We have been able to progress because Earth provided us with the resources. And this conquest of humans, have put the lives of animals and aqua life in jeopardy. There are many monsters that are growing day by day, adding up to the trouble and the pain. Let’s see one such monster and how by changing or inculcating small changes or habits, if not eliminate but we can reduce the ill effects. This monster is an integral part of our day to day life. We interact with it frequently. It’s a plastic monster.
We all know that plastic can’t be decomposed. Burning it leads to many poisonous fumes causing another set of problems. Animals eating it are not able to digest it and it harms them, many a time killing them. The milk is found to be toxic to the cattle who ingested plastic while grazing. Birds consuming plastic and are left to die. Aqua life is hampered by the amount of plastic dumped in the sea. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that the entire human race is responsible for these lives lost but since our legal system has no specific provisions on these deaths, we all roam free.
However, we all collectively can take charge and at least make sure that the plastic is dumped properly so it goes to the recycling units instead of some animal’s intestine. What can a single person achieve? This thought process demotivates those even who are willing to set things right. Instead of thinking about what a single person can achieve, think how a single person can bring out a change? Some very simple and basic habits will go a long way in bringing out the change.
- Every one of us carries a mobile phone, charger and power bank without fail. Can we also make a habit of carrying a medium-size cloth bag? There are attractive cloth bags available in the market and they occupy a very small space. So this bag can be used when we purchase vegetables or groceries or any item required. Make a habit of always having a cloth bag in your handbag or backpack. Observe the number of plastic bags you’d avoid by this habit.
- Let’s be practical and understand that plastic can’t be banned completely. Snacks packaging, liquid packaging and other comes in plastic which we have to deal with. Well, we can’t avoid this plastic, but we can dump it correctly. Instead of throwing it in trains, on roads and beaches, use bins. These days Government is trying to install dust bins as many as possible. When the bin is not available, can we keep the wrappers with us for that time and later on dump it in bins? So many kids do this but adults fail to do so.
- Most of the decorative articles are made up of plastics. During festivals, it’s high time that we replace it with eco-friendly decorative articles. Eco-friendly articles might not have multiple options but it is high time we change the trend as we Humans don’t have any option to our Earth!
Let us know your basics and simple habits to fight the plastic monster!