Waging the War against the Evil Plastics
It has become official: Plastics are choking the Earth. From their immense contribution in landfills to making the air more toxic as they are burnt, this really has become a global epidemic. Plastics are polluting the waterways and killing precious marine life, which just adds on to the global climate crisis. But don’t take my word for it. Take these countries for example.
Countries have started taking drastic measures to keep this epidemic under control. They have realised the gravity of the situation at hand and have taken active efforts to make sure that they control the use and disposal of plastics. Some countries like Peru and Australia have severely restricted single use plastics. Other countries, like Canada and Kenya have outright banned it. Here are some steps that certain countries have taken to fight the evil that is plastics.
France
Single use plastics are practically non-existent in France. It has become a front runner in the fight against single use plastics. They have already bid adieu to plastic bags, cups, plates and cutlery. By 2020, they plan on banning plastic straws, coffee stirrers and cotton swabs as well. France has even inspired the European Union to propose legislation that would ban the use of single use plastics across the EU by 2021.
Australia
In 2018, two of the major supermarket chains in Australia (Coles and Woolworths), led the charge to toss single use plastic bags and in just three months there was an 80% reduction. There was a grand total of one and a half billion plastic bags which were kept out of landfills and waterways.
Canada
Canada has made up its mind to keep plastics out of the oceans and far from the marine life that lives in it. They have been inspired by the EU and plan on banning all single use plastics by the year 2021. Since less than 10% of Canada’s plastics are being recycled, they are determined on making up for the lost time. They know that they have the ability to catch up with the new legislation.
Rwanda
Now here’s a country where you would never want to be caught with a plastic bag, even by accident. There are strict measures taken against people who even try to smuggle in plastic bags. These might include, fines, jail time, or even a public confession. But this law ended up boosting Rwanda’s economy and earned them the title of Africa’s cleanest nation.
Tunisia
Tunisia has taken a massive step in the fight against plastics. They have set themselves up for a monumental 2020 with this step. As of 31 December 2019, Tunisia will have outlawed all non-biodegradable plastic bags. This means no production, importing, selling or distributing. After 2017, when they had a supermarket only ban which led to a 94% reduction, this doesn’t seem like a herculean task for Tunisia. This is also because an alternative is already present. Tunisia’s traditional straw Koffa baskets are not only the most functional but the most stylish alternative.
U.K.
The U.K. has a 25 year long master plan in place for phasing out plastics completely. They want to set the global standard by the year 2043 and their strategy is based on small goals. Some of these include banning microbeads in soaps and toiletries, banning the use of plastic straws with the ‘Final Straw’ law. The U.K. is also investing money in teaching school children about environmental awareness. This is a very important step as it is making sure that these children can be the ones who take forward the idea of climate action with every little thing that they do.
Kenya
Kenya became one of the first countries to outlaw single-use plastics in the year 2017. Their laws are one of the strictest too. If one is caught carrying a plastic bag, they could incur a fine of up to $38,000 or serve as many as 4 years in prison. This legislation has been one of the most effective and other African nations like Uganda and Tanzania are also considering such legislation.
What can I about this?
We can all do our part in the fight against plastics as it is much easier than it may seem.
- Use a tote bag instead. Single use plastic bags can choke sewers and are more often than not the cause for pollution of water bodies. Using a tote bag made of jute or other such biodegradable materials serves the same purpose- guilt free!
- Your personal reusable water bottle. Instead of using bottled water which is extremely unnecessary and rarely recycled using a reusable water bottle is probably the simplest thing that we can do.
- Reusable containers instead of plastic wrap. Plastic wrap is an easy solution to keep unused food fresh, but it’s very difficult to recycle and mostly ends up in landfills or elsewhere. Using tupperware is an even easier, safer, and ultimately cheaper way to cut plastic wrap from your life.
- A stylish solution to plastic straws. Reusable straws are not just more environment friendly but make you the coolest person on the table. You’re saving the turtles in style.
- Avoid Styrofoam. Styrofoam cannot be recycled and takes an extremely long time to degrade. We need to take it out of the environment as soon as possible.
- Stop buying from companies that overuse plastics. Companies respond to pressure from customers. Letting these companies know that they need to be more sustainable by the amazing invention called social media. These platforms make sure that the companies are accountable for their products.
But how do we really make an impact? It all starts with one click. Start your personal campaign towards a better world today at aiesec.org.
