In 1950 the world produced only 2 million tonnes per year. By 2015, annual production had increased nearly 200-fold, reaching 381 million tonnes. For context, this is roughly equivalent to the mass of two-thirds of the world population.1 Over the period from 1950 to 2015, cumulative production reached 7.8 billion tonnes of plastic — more than one tonne of plastic for every person alive today. Packaging is the dominant sectoral use of plastics globally accounting for 42 percent. Since packaging tends to have a much lower product lifetime than other products, it is also dominant in terms of annual waste generation. It is responsible for almost half of global plastic waste. (R. Geyer, 2017)

Every one of us have definitely visited fairs and festivals many times. How often do we carry back the plastic wastes that we produce during our visit? We buy many items during the visit, eat variety of foods and drinks where the plastic wastes are generated from the plastics used for packaging and people tend to throw the plastics on the way or the region where they use the product inside the plastic packaging. Although people know about plastic pollution, people don’t think that it’s their responsibility to ­­­­­­ the waste produced by them by themselves. A small act of managing the plastic we produce through the reduce, reuse and recycle can have a great impact to beat plastic pollution as the ripple effects of small things is extraordinary in creating bigger impact.

NYCA Dang Lamahi Unit is running a Campaign inside "5th Deukhuri commercial festival" in lamahi, Dang during 4th Magh to 16th Magh. It is an awareness and cleanliness campaign together with the target to reach 100k people during the festival. At first, awareness about climate change and plastic pollution is provided to the to the shopkeepers of stalls, costumers and visitors during day followed by the collection of all the plastics being thrown in the festivals at the evening.

Jeevan Upreti (NYCA Dang Lamahi Unit Coordinator) taking part in Online Environment Awarenesss Campaign ‘Small Act Great Impact’ said “Youths are cleaning plastic garbage in front of shop inside "Trade Fair" in which thousands of people visit each day. This make people ashamed to throw garbage and make people aware.” ­­­Such initiatives not only keep the places clean but awares large number of people against plastic pollution.” He also said, “Not only awareness but actions acts much faster. We don’t hesitate to pick up the plastics thrown if people don’t feel ashamed to throw the plastics.” He also shared his experience of people not responding well to the  awareness campaign at the beginning but when when youths started to pick up the wastes and plastic being thrown, people realized their mistakes and thanked them for the great campaign they have been doing.

It’s the responsibility of everyone of us to fight to beat plastic pollution. We must refuse if we can’t reuse it. Together we can beat plastic pollution. Lets be responsible for the wastes we produce and manage them in the best way possible.

#TogetherWeCan

#BeatPlasticPollution

#YouthsInAction