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International Plastic Bag Free Day

by Sainath Manikandan | 03-07-2019 19:55





We are living in a plastic planet. Plastic pollution issues are growing exponentially every year as we are producing more than 300 million tons of plastic. Most of the plastics used are single-use which ends up in our oceans. This issue can be solved by educating and engaging everyone in a conversation to rethink plastic. 

We live on a blue planet, with oceans and seas covering more than 70 per cent of the Earth¡¯s surface. Oceans feed us, regulate our climate, and generate most of the oxygen we breathe. Oceans are facing threats as a result of human activity. Every year, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste end up in the world¡¯s oceans. The forefathers of Abu Dhabi owed their living to the waters of the Arabian Gulf and it continues to teem with life. One of the world¡¯s largest and densest colonies of dugongs live here, as do many seabird colonies. Several hundred thousand migrating shorebirds visit each year. Abu Dhabi also hosts approximately 110 km2 of mangroves. But these waters and the plant and animal species within them now face immense threats, on several fronts due to plastic pollution. My campaign aims to reduce the carbon footprint. 

I want to encourage the use of paper bags and cloth/jute bags in my community and to discard the use of plastics bags. I want to spread the message that ¡°Plastic is not our body¡¯s best friend¡±. I want to convince people to stop using single-use plastic bottles, cups, bags and straws and to switch to filtered tap water.

More and more cosmetics contain micro beads. Tiny particles of plastic have been added to thousands of personal care cosmetic products (toothpaste, make-up, facial soaps etc.¡¦).These micro plastics are a hazard to our environment. These get washed down into our oceans and enter our food chain. Fish ingest micro plastics and then we humans also end up eating it.

Let¡¯s take a pledge to reduce single-use plastics and put an end to plastic pollution on this "international plastic bag free day".

I had started my own campaign, PEPC Campaign (Papers, E-wastes, Plastics and Cans) to inform the importance of recycling and to put an end to single-use plastics. As an environmentalist and green activist, I strongly believe that we can change our existing practices into green and sustainable solutions using technology. I am collecting papers, electronic wastes, plastics and cans for recycling.  I am raising awareness about single-use plastic pollution and encouraging individuals and organizations to reduce their carbon footprints through simple everyday choices.