Your cart is currently empty!
The Philippines is the world’s 3rd worst plastic polluter so there is no shortage of raw materials to make Christmas decorations. And of course I’m excited to see people in my home barangay finding creative ways of recycling plastic. But as Greenpeace oceans expert Thilo Maack tells us …
“We cannot recycle our way out of the plastic litter problem. Governments are too quick to turn to recycling and should instead prioritise the waste management hierarchy through prevention at source, followed by reuse and then recycling,”
Instead how do we stop our everyday addiction to buying and using plastic; and start demanding that large brands like Nestle, Unilever, P&G cease locking us into cheap, disposable plastics, rather than innovating and finding real solutions?
None of us can be silent on these issues anymore, not when 8 million tonnes of throwaway plastic waste washes into the sea from land every year.
I have to take stronger action, set a living example and use my voice to draw attention to this critical issue. By all means continue recycling plastic, but please let’s all work together to shop responsibly and use less plastic.
“It is one world. And it’s in our care. For the first time in the history of humanity, for the first time in 500 million years, one species has the future in the palm of its hands.”
Sir David Attenborough (October 2017)
© 2017 Melinda J. Irvine
- Daily Post: Silent
- I’m part of Post A Day 2017
- Location: Estancia, Iloilo (Philipppines)
9 responses to “Recycling Plastic is Not a Solution”
[…] via Recycling Plastic is Not a Solution — Melinda J. Irvine […]
Our organization made some assessment why the Philippines still suffers from waste problem despite the many policies passed by the government. Using the internet, we have identified that the role of the local government units is very important aside from the cooperation of the communities. Using the POSDCORB organizational theory, we found out some weaknesses here.https://banhicom.wordpress.com/2018/01/30/what-happened-to-ra-9003/
Hi and thanks so much for reaching out and sharing your website. I’m just reading it now. Being a foreigner living in the Philippines on a tourist visa I’m not allowed to engage in political activities, so I limit what I say on my blog. Sadly the municipality where I live has no garbage tip or refuse stations of any kind. As you say, local government. I believe the way to using less plastic here is 1. committing to use less plastic ourselves individually 2. setting a visible example to others (without being officious 3. saying no to irresponsible brands (Nestle is a salient example here in the Philippines) 4. educating others in practical alternatives to using plastics 5. working in the community on waste management (items 1.2.3.4. on a purok level, items 4.5. on a barangay level). How about you? Are you having any results in your area? Mel.
As an organization, we are trying to lobby the passage of plastic ban policy in our locality where plastics bags are prohibited. However, we have a very “difficult” political leaders in the country that sometimes only use your group to their advantage. You know what I mean. For now, in the university where we graduated, styrofoams are no longer allowed in the campus and segregation is strictly being implemented
Yes I know exactly what you mean. When it is challenging (and even dangerous) at times to confront government we can still focus our efforts on what we can do locally. Like at your university which is great. All of these small things make a big difference.
[…] store and had to be handmade from used plastic soft-drink bottles. Not that I have a problem with reusing empty plastic soft-drink bottles, but don’t ‘ma’am said me‘ in the middle of a busy work […]
Hello Melinda! I recently started my own blog talking about litter pollution with plastic being a main topic. I notice you have over 900 followers and I am just messaging to see if you have any tips because it’s all quite new to me. I fully agree with what you are saying on the plastic matter though; I think change has to come from consumers or small/medium sized businessss because big businesses are happy with the way it is for them right now which is sad.
http://Www.restore-revolution.com
Hi, thanks for visiting my site.
if you want to build a following you should visit other blogs, follow them and like their posts.
take the Blogging-U courses and participate in the DailyPost and Weekly Photo Challenge.
all the best blogging.
mel
Cheers Mel, wordpress is still new for me but I will take those tips and start following people who interest me!