Recycle plastic bags
May 31, 2004
I hear stories in some parts of the world where people make decisions they think about seven generations later
By Horiuchi Mie
I hear stories in some parts of the world where people make decisions they think about seven generations later.
We need to learn their attitude: nowadays, our actions and decisions are too narrow minded. We rarely consider what we leave for our next generations, let alone our own generation. Let’s question ourselves: what kind of world will our our children and grand-children live in? Are we doing our best to leave them a clean and beautiful environment?
When I first arrived in Kampala, the first thing I noticed was the huge pile of trash on the streets, especially plastic bags. I also realised that people depended on plastic carrier bags. Extremely versatile, long lasting and economic, plastic today is popular among the masses. In stores, it seems almost impossible to avoid plastic bags because products are usually packed in them. But what is wrong with using plastics and creating plastic wastes?
Plastics have certain undesirable qualities that make them a menace from the environmental point of view. Plastics have created a throw away culture, which has caused an enormous increase in plastic waste. It is estimated that thousands of tonnes of plastic worlwide end up as waste every year.
The majority of plastic waste consists of carrier bags. Only 50% of this is recycled.
Being long lasting, it remains in the soil for a long time.
This in turn pollutes the earth. It cannot be burned or buried.
Burning plastics releases hydrochloric acid in the air, which degrades the incinerator rapidly, releases chlorine, which is then available to form dioxins, and releases toxic metals that were added to the plastics to give them colour or stiffness.
When buried, it blocks the natural supply of air and water to the soil. This affects plant life directly and the web of life (including ourselves).
Plastic bags clog the sewage pipes.
They also reduce the water retaining capacity of the soil and this in turn affects the water table. Plastic bags can be seen floating in most of the water bodies on earth.
Do we want to leave such wastes and environmental problems to our future generations? Ofcourse not!
The following are things you can do:
Refuse: Bring your own shopping bags. Say “No†to cashiers when they try to give you new plastic bags.
Reuse: If you already have plastic bags, reuse them. You can reuse the bag many times before it breaks.
Reduce: reduce the amount of plastic material/wastes around you — bags, containers, cups, plates...try to use ceramics or other long-lasting biodegradable materials.
Recycle: you can make soccer balls or ropes out of used/broken plastic bags.
Write to the Government to promote environment- friendly plastics, and adapt environment-friendly ways to dispose plastic.
Uganda is a beautiful country with — mountains, lakes, rivers, swamps, and forests. Let’s work hard to leave these invaluable assets to our children and grandchildren. Let’s do our best to try to reconsider our attitude towards the environment, and be good stewards. Everyone can make a difference, and if we use everyone’s effort, the difference will be enormous.
The writer is an Environmental Education Volunteer at the Jane Goodall Institute
I hear stories in some parts of the world where people make decisions they think about seven generations later.
We need to learn their attitude: nowadays, our actions and decisions are too narrow minded. We rarely consider what we leave for our next generations, let alone our own generation. Let’s question ourselves: what kind of world will our our children and grand-children live in? Are we doing our best to leave them a clean and beautiful environment?
When I first arrived in Kampala, the first thing I noticed was the huge pile of trash on the streets, especially plastic bags. I also realised that people depended on plastic carrier bags. Extremely versatile, long lasting and economic, plastic today is popular among the masses. In stores, it seems almost impossible to avoid plastic bags because products are usually packed in them. But what is wrong with using plastics and creating plastic wastes?
Plastics have certain undesirable qualities that make them a menace from the environmental point of view. Plastics have created a throw away culture, which has caused an enormous increase in plastic waste. It is estimated that thousands of tonnes of plastic worlwide end up as waste every year.
The majority of plastic waste consists of carrier bags. Only 50% of this is recycled.
Being long lasting, it remains in the soil for a long time.
This in turn pollutes the earth. It cannot be burned or buried.
Burning plastics releases hydrochloric acid in the air, which degrades the incinerator rapidly, releases chlorine, which is then available to form dioxins, and releases toxic metals that were added to the plastics to give them colour or stiffness.
When buried, it blocks the natural supply of air and water to the soil. This affects plant life directly and the web of life (including ourselves).
Plastic bags clog the sewage pipes.
They also reduce the water retaining capacity of the soil and this in turn affects the water table. Plastic bags can be seen floating in most of the water bodies on earth.
Do we want to leave such wastes and environmental problems to our future generations? Ofcourse not!
The following are things you can do:
Refuse: Bring your own shopping bags. Say “No†to cashiers when they try to give you new plastic bags.
Reuse: If you already have plastic bags, reuse them. You can reuse the bag many times before it breaks.
Reduce: reduce the amount of plastic material/wastes around you — bags, containers, cups, plates...try to use ceramics or other long-lasting biodegradable materials.
Recycle: you can make soccer balls or ropes out of used/broken plastic bags.
Write to the Government to promote environment- friendly plastics, and adapt environment-friendly ways to dispose plastic.
Uganda is a beautiful country with — mountains, lakes, rivers, swamps, and forests. Let’s work hard to leave these invaluable assets to our children and grandchildren. Let’s do our best to try to reconsider our attitude towards the environment, and be good stewards. Everyone can make a difference, and if we use everyone’s effort, the difference will be enormous.
The writer is an Environmental Education Volunteer at the Jane Goodall Institute