Drowning In an Ocean Of Plastic
Did you know we use between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags every single year, and yet only 1 - 3% of these are currently being recycled…
In total, we consume over 220 million tons of plastic annually and the effect of this is slowly but surely choking and suffocating our precious planet.
Our once crystal clear oceans have become toxic garbage dumps, swirling with deadly plastic that does not bio degrade and kills over a million seabirds and 100,000 mammals every year. Scientists have now found microscopic particles of plastic inside plankton, the keystone of the marine food chain.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area in the North Pacific Ocean covering an area twice the size of Texas is filled with 3.5 million tons of floating plastic. It is our collective shame as human beings that we have allowed our oceans to become a global garbage dump.
In the west, we put our plastic bags and bottles in a bin and it gets taken away with reassuring regularity. For most people, the problem of waste disposal is a matter of "out of sight out of mind" as a recent stroll up Nusa Dua beach showed me; As I watched one of the top resorts staff burying all their plastic and garbage in "their" patch of the beach, I did wonder if their customers know their sunbathing on a plastic waste disposal!
One of the big problems is the waste management services in Bali struggle to keep up with rising levels of waste. We are confronted daily by the sight of plastic strewn on the streets, floating in the ocean and washed up on the beaches.
Just because we don't see such obvious damage to the environment and the harmful impact of plastic in our own country, doesn't mean it's not happening or that we are not adding to the problem. The reality is, in the west we consume 10 times more plastic than in South East Asia. Here in Bali, tourism is the biggest contributor to the 600 - 750 tons of plastic waste the island produces every single day.
Fortunately, there is a growing awareness of the problem. In a recent public speech, the Governor of Bali, Made Mangku Pastika offered an invitation to the people of Bali to "let us together free the land from plastic waste so the island that is the center of international attention becomes clean and green Bali." There is also welcome support from many sectors for the Governors call to eliminate plastic bags from supermarkets and for them to supply a cloth alternative.
Local organizations such as Bali Fokus, Bali Cantik Tanpa Plastik, Yayasan GUS and Eco-Bali have a unified goal in their call to "free Bali from plastic." They have been campaigning and raising awareness through the presentation of education films, informative quizzes, circulating petitions and essay competitions.
"Say NO to Plastic" or SNTP is a waste reduction and prevention campaign established in Ubud in 2007 by Bali Cantik Tanpa Plastik. Local and foreign volunteers who are passionate about the natural environment work with businesses and community representatives in Bali on plastic waste education, reduction and prevention initiatives. Founder Alex Ryan quoted "KafeKares has been the main sponsor of the SNTP campaign since June 2009. Their funds have enabled us to form a partnership with hypermart Galleria Mall, Indonesia's 2nd largest retailer. This provides real steps towards getting shoppers to reduce single use plastic bags and convert to martial bags.
With businesses like this getting behind the efforts to reduce plastic and support a healthier and cleaner environment for Bali and our world, it provides the examples that we need other Bali based business and corporations to follow"
While the work and support these organizations provide is vital, now is the time for everyone to get involved. Whatever way you want to look at it, the mass consumption of plastic has become a problem we can no longer avoid or ignore. The eco-friendly shop and business in Seminyak called Little Tree offers a range of oxo-biodegradable products which are made of d2w. This shows that there are so many ways WE can start making the difference starting at home!
Every person on the planet must wake up to the fact they are directly contributing to the problem and start to do something about it. If we each start to take individual responsibility for our plastic consumption and waste, together we can make a difference.
So here are 7 simple and effective ways you can reduce, reuse and recycle plastic.
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Say NO to single use plastic bags and either use the plastic you already have over and over again or carry your own cloth bag with you.
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Support businesses who recycle
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Boycott products using excessive and unnecessary plastic packaging
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Look for recycled items in all the products you buy
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Challenge your local businesses to reduce reuse and recycle their plastic
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Get creative about ways to reuse and recycle plastic
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Get educated and educate others. Forward this article to your friends and family to inform them about the problem with plastic and let them know what they can do to help!
If you would like to support Say No To Plastic please email Anna Sutanto at:
plasticfreebali@gmail.com http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=44297661289&v=wall
You can buy your oxo-biodegradable products here:
http://www.littletreebali.com/biodegradable-plastics-s-15-12.html
Envisioning Bali to become the World's First Plastic Bag and Bottle Free Island, join our facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=131710803520706
Here are some great links so you can be pro-active, get educated and find out how YOU can make a difference:
http://www.degradable.net/
http://www.balifokus.org/
http://www.gus-bali.org/
http://www.eco-bali.com/
