Don’t let nature take care of plastic waste
I. Participate in or organise a local cleanup. Clean up the neighbourhood or the beach, because every piece of plastic we pick up is one less piece in our nature. If you live by a sea or river, you can volunteer to pick up litter in your local community, thus removing plastics from the waterways and preventing them from getting to the ocean in the first place. There are many organisations taking the initiative to clean, in which each one of us can participate. Even if there are no such initiatives, each one can independently take the decision and clean even a small part, by simply taking a trash bag and walking around the city or the beach. In any case, you will be an inspiring and positive role model!
Unfortunately, plastic is everywhere and for this reason every little action on a small scale makes the difference in the fight for a change of the current situation of plastic pollution!
II. One of the main weapons we can use to stop ocean pollution is research. By deepening our knowledge of the effects of the issue, we can start implementing better policies for all.
Being more aware and informed, checking labels of products, choosing to buy from a company is like a vote of confidence – if manufacturers see that fewer people are buying from them because of their attitudes to plastics, they are likely to make positive changes, greenwashing and be more sceptical.
Companies like to present themselves as green and sustainable, but that does not mean that they actually are. Painting company activities with a green tint is called greenwashing. The examples of greenwashing are countless, also with regards to the issue of plastic pollution. Sometimes, consumers are misled by products that aren’t as green as they seem. Bioplastics are considered the more environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based plastics. However, they can still contribute to plastic pollution, global warming, and land use, because not all bioplastics are always biodegradable. While some bioplastics like those derived from cornstarch decompose in the soil, others only break down at high temperatures or after being treated in a landfill under very specific conditions. Even biodegradable bioplastics can still end up in landfills and produce methane gas as they decompose. It’s important to remember that bioplastics are still just plastics, even if they are made from a different material.
For example, to show a company that you would prefer sustainable packaging, you either need to find an equally appealing product in better packaging and purchase that instead, or you need to communicate your request for change directly to the company.
III. Youth-led organisations prove effective in raising awareness of the dangers of plastics to our environment by offering local community engagement workshops, promoting plastic-free products and speaking at public events and in schools. Community engagement and education initiatives that advocate for no plastic in our world is a powerful means to creating consumer change.
Public awareness campaigns for example that engage and educate local communities on plastic waste can spur community action and affect consumer choices.
For this reason, try to be part of an organisation and take action in the promotion of the urgency of reacting against the plastic dominance. Participate in a campaign of the organisation or take the initiative to organise one by your own in your local community. Even if it sounds difficult, people can make a real difference in how plastic is used, by sending the right messages to citizens, companies and even governments.
Campaigns around the world have proved to have contributed to increased awareness of plastic pollution, and in some cases, action. The Be Ready To Change (LINK) is an example of a campaign that was organised by the European Commission and launched in 2018 communicating that single-use plastic products and packaging are not only poor quality but also no longer socially acceptable.
