Plastic - A more convenient term for synthetic or polymeric materials. Given its plasticity it can be molded into any size, shape and form. Invented more than a century ago, this material has literally seeped in everywhere. There's not one place on this planet earth without a bit of plastic. Its floating around in the universe too. We say "God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient etc"., I dont know if God is really omnipresent but plastic for sure is.
Literally we are eating plastic drink plastic and sleep plastic. Dont we? Just think, how we begin our day...with a plastic toothbrush that has nylon bristles, a fancy plastic tongue cleaner with silicon handles, a toothpaste in a plastic tube, face cleanser also in a plastic tube, milk sealed in a poly pack, a plastic cup to drink, staples stored in a tupperware container, a body wash from a plastic container, body scrubber with a nylon loofah, packing food in a tupperware lunch box or wrap it in a clingfilm and so on and on.
Our breakfast, lunch and dinners have food served in plastic plates, water served in plastic cups, and even our babies are fed in fancy plastic bowls and made to drink out of sipper cups and plastic feeding bottles. Our textiles, food packaging, electronic items, pipes, paints, coatings, cookware, laminates, adhesives and the list is endless which has plastic in different forms. It has become a basic and most essential commodity in our lives.
But the same basic and most essential commodity is now turning toxic to the entire planet. Its basically a time ticking bomb. The truth is this material in a way made things way too easier, at the cost of an entire planet.
Literally we are eating plastic drink plastic and sleep plastic. Dont we? Just think, how we begin our day...with a plastic toothbrush that has nylon bristles, a fancy plastic tongue cleaner with silicon handles, a toothpaste in a plastic tube, face cleanser also in a plastic tube, milk sealed in a poly pack, a plastic cup to drink, staples stored in a tupperware container, a body wash from a plastic container, body scrubber with a nylon loofah, packing food in a tupperware lunch box or wrap it in a clingfilm and so on and on.
Our breakfast, lunch and dinners have food served in plastic plates, water served in plastic cups, and even our babies are fed in fancy plastic bowls and made to drink out of sipper cups and plastic feeding bottles. Our textiles, food packaging, electronic items, pipes, paints, coatings, cookware, laminates, adhesives and the list is endless which has plastic in different forms. It has become a basic and most essential commodity in our lives.
But the same basic and most essential commodity is now turning toxic to the entire planet. Its basically a time ticking bomb. The truth is this material in a way made things way too easier, at the cost of an entire planet.
The one single property of plastic, plasticity has taken over all other industries such as wood, stone, metal, glass, ceramic and what not. I remember until the 90s, plastic usage was way too minimal in India. The major plastic invasion happened in the form of water bottles, poly bags, food packs etc. Now there is no looking back. We bring anything and everything in plastic. Do you know a million water bottles are used per minute around the world? And where do these millions and millions of waste go? Most of them into the oceans and some of them end up in the nearest landfill contaminating the groundwater. So when you go scuba diving sometime, dont be surprised to find a heap of plastic bottles instead of beautiful coral reefs. And anyways we are used to see piled up garbage sites in our neighborhoods. We know how to hold our breaths until we move away from it. But we dont know how to cut down the consumption of plastic in our daily needs.
Even the places we consider most sacred have also turned into plastic havens, as our Gods are also worshiped with poly bags,...all you see is tons of poly bags littered around in the temple premises. Haldi and kumkum get packed in tiny poly packs. I think not just the seabirds but also our Gods are suffocating in poly bags. On a festive day this doubles, especially while worshiping the snakes and serpents, thousands of tetra packs and poly packs are thrown at their shrines. I dont know if the milk enters the patala loka, but plastic did enter already. And our Godly snakes would rather curse us than bless. In the early 90s, we used to carry a beautiful flower basket made out of brass or bronze or steel or cane to the temple. It was such a beautiful sight. And the prasad was distributed in leaves which seemed very sacred. Now even the prasad is packed in plastic and it appears like any other food that you buy. Did it not loose its sacred feel?
Needless to mention about food and food packaging, even the vegetables and fruits are tightly wrapped in cling films in order to keep them going for weeks. Isnt it absolutely stupid when corn, bananas, pomegranates etc., which have thick peels to protect their insides are also being wrapped in plastic. Isn't this heights of package madness??
There were various campaigns to create awareness about the potential dangers of plastic usage, however there are not many ordinances from the government to curb this. There are many organisations who have been extensively campaigning against curbing plastic. Ironically, the Greenpeace International organisation which endorses environmental conservation puts up a hoarding on the eve of world environmental day saying 'Beat plastic pollution' and the hoarding was made of vinyl. If the endorsers themselves cannot get rid of this material, imagine the common people.
Plastic is dangerous than a nuclear weapon, because the effects of the nuclear explosion would last a few decades whereas our plastic waste lasts hundred of years killing the entire species of humans and animals and various other living forms.
Before you get choked and get buried under plastic, do not buy or bring in products made of plastic, if you already have them, do not dispose them off irresponsibly, try to reuse them creatively, and if you have to throw them, put them to recycle. Or please avoid using plastic.
Cheers
Go Green
Jyostna
Even the places we consider most sacred have also turned into plastic havens, as our Gods are also worshiped with poly bags,...all you see is tons of poly bags littered around in the temple premises. Haldi and kumkum get packed in tiny poly packs. I think not just the seabirds but also our Gods are suffocating in poly bags. On a festive day this doubles, especially while worshiping the snakes and serpents, thousands of tetra packs and poly packs are thrown at their shrines. I dont know if the milk enters the patala loka, but plastic did enter already. And our Godly snakes would rather curse us than bless. In the early 90s, we used to carry a beautiful flower basket made out of brass or bronze or steel or cane to the temple. It was such a beautiful sight. And the prasad was distributed in leaves which seemed very sacred. Now even the prasad is packed in plastic and it appears like any other food that you buy. Did it not loose its sacred feel?
Needless to mention about food and food packaging, even the vegetables and fruits are tightly wrapped in cling films in order to keep them going for weeks. Isnt it absolutely stupid when corn, bananas, pomegranates etc., which have thick peels to protect their insides are also being wrapped in plastic. Isn't this heights of package madness??
There were various campaigns to create awareness about the potential dangers of plastic usage, however there are not many ordinances from the government to curb this. There are many organisations who have been extensively campaigning against curbing plastic. Ironically, the Greenpeace International organisation which endorses environmental conservation puts up a hoarding on the eve of world environmental day saying 'Beat plastic pollution' and the hoarding was made of vinyl. If the endorsers themselves cannot get rid of this material, imagine the common people.
Plastic is dangerous than a nuclear weapon, because the effects of the nuclear explosion would last a few decades whereas our plastic waste lasts hundred of years killing the entire species of humans and animals and various other living forms.
Before you get choked and get buried under plastic, do not buy or bring in products made of plastic, if you already have them, do not dispose them off irresponsibly, try to reuse them creatively, and if you have to throw them, put them to recycle. Or please avoid using plastic.
Cheers
Go Green
Jyostna
