THE #ZOPlasticChallenge has been announced.
It is in full swing and we look forward to suggestions from you, our readers, about how Zululanders can help save our environment by reducing plastic waste.
It is easier than we think and we can all play a part in creating a healthier environment.
We, as people, cannot separate ourselves from the environment because by polluting the natural world, we harm ourselves.
Plastic can take hundreds of years to break down, so the damage to the environment is long-lasting.
Degrading plastic leaches potentially toxic chemicals into the environment and these chemicals creep into the food chain.
Similarly, when plastic is burned, chemicals are released into the air.
Referring to the ocean specifically, plastic can harm tiny organisms such as plankton, which larger marine animals feed on.
If plankton is poisoned from ingesting plastic, the larger creatures that feed on the plankton also consume toxins.
The toxins work their way up the food chain and could be present in the fish people eat.
Plastic is widely available, it is cheap to produce and contributes to most of our household waste.
Consider plastic items used every day – that packaged sandwich and bottled cold drink you bought because you forgot to pack lunch, that plastic wrap you wrapped your cooked sausage in, that ready-made fruit salad you bought for convenience sake.
These are just a few items that many of us use on a daily basis, only to use them once and throw them away.
Single-use plastics are poisoning our environment and, as a result, many countries – even South Africa – are considering banning single-use plastics.
Many restaurants and shops have already done away with plastic straws, opting for paper straws or even pasta straws.
How can we contribute to reducing our single-use plastic usage?
Environmental tip # 2
The paper straw – either you love it or you hate it – but what is the alternative?
Rather than using the paper straw that goes soggy in minutes, consider whether or not you really need a straw for that particular drink.
If the answer is yes, then buying your very own metal straw is a viable alternative.
Metal straws are available at many outlets and the more expensive ones come in their own cases or bags, ensuring they are kept hygienically clean while in storage in your car or handbag.
They also come with pipe cleaners which can be used to ‘clean’ the straw, or rather dry it off when your drink is finished.
It is then easy to clean the straw properly at home while washing the other dishes.
Do you have any plastic reducing tips? We would love to hear from you! Email zulobs@zob.co.za
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