Have you ever thought about the amount of rubbish that you produce daily? Most of it will end up in the landfill and give off harmful greenhouse gases that causes global warming. Did you know that according to Science Magazine, Malaysia is the eighth worst country in the world for plastic waste!
The plastic waste that we generate goes to landfills where they will stay for centuries and not degrade. This waste doesn’t only cause land pollution. The toxic chemicals in the plastic leech into the soil and ground water and this can cause a host of health problems and birth defects.
Zero waste with haste
A new movement that’s trying to minimise the amount of trash polluting the environment is ‘Zero Waste’. It is where people aim to eliminate the amount of trash that they make completely. People who lead the zero waste lifestyle commit to evaluating the way they approach the concept of trash and also to encourage other people to take up the lifestyle as well.
Now, it sounds quite extreme to suddenly go zero waste but we’re not asking you to do it overnight. Going zero waste takes quite an effort and for some people, that might turn them off. However, it’s perfectly fine to want to help minimise the damage we do to the environment, trash-wise. Make small life changes starting today and you’re on your way!
The last straw
Another thing to remember is to refuse single use plastic forks and spoons because these will only end up in the rubbish bin and possibly wash out into the ocean. If you’re taking away food for lunch at the office, bring your own utensils along with your reusable containers.
The same goes for your daily take away coffee. Have you noticed that even though the cup is made out of paper, the takeaway lid is almost always plastic? Sure it says recyclable but most of us would usually just throw it out with the normal trash. Bring your own thermos or sealed coffee mug when you want to take coffee away. In fact, if you’re at the coffee shop and would like to enjoy it in-house, you can also insist on them putting the coffee in a mug instead of straight into a paper cup!
The video of a sea turtle with a straw stuck up its bleeding nostrils made its rounds on the Internet last year and has launched a worldwide revolt! A lot of restaurants and bars have now stopped using straws in their drinks and encourage patrons to bring their own reusable straws.
Starting slow
The first thing you need to do is to look at your rubbish bin. Look at what kind of waste you generate on a daily basis and write it down. Do you notice a lot of takeaway boxes and plastic utensils perhaps? Or single-use plastic wrap from the grocery store? How about your daily takeaway latte where the lid is plastic?
Now that you have a list of stuff that you throw away, make a game plan. If you notice that you have a lot of takeaway boxes going in the rubbish, next time, bring a reusable container to the hawker stall. Some restaurants even charge extra for takeaway boxes so you’ll be saving money too! There’s no need to buy a bunch of reusable containers unless you really don’t have any. Ask for one or two from your mum, other family members or friends who have extra and there you go!
Shopping smart
To eliminate single-use plastic from your groceries, bring your own reusable bags like those shown above when you’re at the supermarket. The bags are made from cotton and can be used many times. Best is that if they get soiled, just throw them in the washing machine for a good clean!
To further eliminate single-use plastic, go to your nearby wet market and get your groceries there! Fruits and vegetables at markets are generally sold loose and the price can be cheaper too.
References: Planet Aid.
