If you are concerned about the environment and recycling, continue reading.
This is not a nag. This is a small list of suggestions to anyone who wants to be able to dare looking into the eyes of the next generation; who wants to eat fish and seafood that does not contain plastic, who wants to enjoy nature, and in short, who wants to live and pass this planet to their kids or others' kids.
Like some of you, I feel distressed, angry, sad and hopeless whenever I see how our living environment is getting dirtier and filled with plastic and garbage. I do not think that we can continue living on this planet if we keep using and wasting and throwing away here and there.
I am tired of nagging, so I am writing a few things that you, me and every one of us can do as our share. It doesn't matter if some people are irresponsible or stupid; it doesn't matter if we live in a capitalist world that doesn't fine those who dump waste or plastic in the ocean; it doesn't matter if Trump is the president; it doesn't matter that we're all gonna die someday, it's always been like that. What matters, is that we as individuals can choose not to take part in what we don't like. We can tell our friends and they can tell theirs and in the end, hopefully we will be many. We can educate ourselves, and then others, including kids.
What we can do:
1- practice correct recycling. I realized a few days ago that I have sometimes been an aspirational recycler, because sometimes I did not recycle correctly. For example, I did not know that items with number 6 as recycling code, are not recyclable.
I am tired of nagging, so I am writing a few things that you, me and every one of us can do as our share. It doesn't matter if some people are irresponsible or stupid; it doesn't matter if we live in a capitalist world that doesn't fine those who dump waste or plastic in the ocean; it doesn't matter if Trump is the president; it doesn't matter that we're all gonna die someday, it's always been like that. What matters, is that we as individuals can choose not to take part in what we don't like. We can tell our friends and they can tell theirs and in the end, hopefully we will be many. We can educate ourselves, and then others, including kids.
What we can do:
1- practice correct recycling. I realized a few days ago that I have sometimes been an aspirational recycler, because sometimes I did not recycle correctly. For example, I did not know that items with number 6 as recycling code, are not recyclable.
2- If you do not know what can be recycled in your city, check the website of your city/municipality for information. If this information does not exist, write them and ask them to update their website.
I live in Montreal and I realized that on the city of Montreal's website, plastic bags are considered recyclable. However, the article above suggests the opposite. The article also mentions that if one side of the pizza box is not greasy, you can tear it off and recycle that. I wrote an email to the city of Montreal and asked for clarification and referred them to the NY times article above. I'm waiting for an answer.
3- Please do not use straws. As humans, we have the physical capability to drink without straws. If your hands are too weak to lift your drink, or you're addicted, it's OK; we all have our weakness. Buy stainless steel straws, carry one in your bag, and put one in your house if withdrawal from plastic straw is as painful as heroin withdrawal.
You might have read many statistics so far, but just to give you an idea, 8 million metric tons of plastic pollute oceans each year. Animals including whales, fish, turtles, seabirds die as a result. Even giant corporates such as IKEA and Royal Caribbean have stopped using plastic straws. Come on! we can do better!
I live in Montreal and I realized that on the city of Montreal's website, plastic bags are considered recyclable. However, the article above suggests the opposite. The article also mentions that if one side of the pizza box is not greasy, you can tear it off and recycle that. I wrote an email to the city of Montreal and asked for clarification and referred them to the NY times article above. I'm waiting for an answer.
3- Please do not use straws. As humans, we have the physical capability to drink without straws. If your hands are too weak to lift your drink, or you're addicted, it's OK; we all have our weakness. Buy stainless steel straws, carry one in your bag, and put one in your house if withdrawal from plastic straw is as painful as heroin withdrawal.
You might have read many statistics so far, but just to give you an idea, 8 million metric tons of plastic pollute oceans each year. Animals including whales, fish, turtles, seabirds die as a result. Even giant corporates such as IKEA and Royal Caribbean have stopped using plastic straws. Come on! we can do better!
Here in Montreal, already some restaurants and bars stopped offering straws. You can also encourage your favourite place to stop offering them. Trust me, your words will have an impact.
4- Buy reusable tote bags in canvas or more generally reusable bags for your groceries. It will not cause you arthritis.
5- Get yourself a reusable mug/container/thermos to drink coffee/tea at work. Once you go to a cafe next door to take a break from work, take it with you and ask them to pour your drink in it.
"Your disposable coffee cup might seem like it can be recycled, but most single-use cups are lined with a fine film of polyethylene, which makes the cups liquid-proof but also difficult and expensive to reprocess (because the materials have to be separated)"
6- Likewise, use a reusable bottle for water and refill. Did you know that nearly a million plastic beverage bottles are sold every minute?
7- If you go on a hike, trekking, or camping, follow the principles of LNT (leave no trace). No, you shouldn't throw an apple core in nature! It's easy: Pack it in, pack it out.
Unfortunately I have seen so many plastic bottles, cans, or simply garbage that people leave on the trail. It is not cool at all. Sometimes I collect the garbage but sometimes I just get tired of cleaning up someone's shit who thinks it's OK to leave garbage/recyclables behind.
8- Don't feed non-domestic animals. This includes birds, squirrels, racoons, etc. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviousrs, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
9- If you have kids, teach them about recycling and the environment.
Some resources:
1- National Geographic guide on Planet or Plastic
6- Likewise, use a reusable bottle for water and refill. Did you know that nearly a million plastic beverage bottles are sold every minute?
7- If you go on a hike, trekking, or camping, follow the principles of LNT (leave no trace). No, you shouldn't throw an apple core in nature! It's easy: Pack it in, pack it out.
Unfortunately I have seen so many plastic bottles, cans, or simply garbage that people leave on the trail. It is not cool at all. Sometimes I collect the garbage but sometimes I just get tired of cleaning up someone's shit who thinks it's OK to leave garbage/recyclables behind.
8- Don't feed non-domestic animals. This includes birds, squirrels, racoons, etc. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviousrs, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
9- If you have kids, teach them about recycling and the environment.
Some resources:
1- National Geographic guide on Planet or Plastic
3- If you wanna get inspired and take baby steps in changing your environment for the better, take a look at here. Take your pledge. Share it on your feed if you think that makes a difference. But remember your pledge.
4- 4 Ocean an initiative by two amazing surfers to clean the ocean. They were shocked at the amount of plastic on the beach and in the ocean on their trip to Bali. You can support them by buying a bracelet made out of recycled plastic, which funds the removal of 1 pound of trash from the ocean and the coastline. If not, just read their story and what they have done so far by gathering people on different places around the world who care for the environment and started their baby steps with them. Maybe next time you go to a beach, adults or with kids, spend a few minutes taking plastics off the beach. I do that most of the times. Trust me, this does not dehumanize you, leaving behind plastic, food remains, beer can or bottle does.
5-SeaWorld, Ikea and Royal Caribbean are getting rid of plastic straws and bags
Also, how do you like this image? I took it from National Geographic "What happens to the plastic we throw out?"
This is real and it's not far from happening next to us.
Also, how do you like this image? I took it from National Geographic "What happens to the plastic we throw out?"
This is real and it's not far from happening next to us.
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