IT IS IRONIC that despite being one of the smallest countries in the world, we are the biggest contributor of plastic wastes to the world’s oceans.
Why is it that we are at the bottom of positive rankings, and we are at the top of negative rankings?
When it comes to plastic wastes in the oceans, Filipino scientist Dr. Hernando Bacosa of Mindanao State University (MSU) explains that the reason why we contribute the most is that we are unable to collect the wastes before it goes into the oceans.
What he means is that the bigger countries are actually producing more plastic wastes than we are, but they are able to collect most of it, thus preventing their ending up in the oceans.
Most probably, they are able to recycle the plastic wastes, at least most of it, and that reduces the volume of what goes into the oceans.
Dr. Bacosa’s scientific findings should teach us two lessons. One, we should collect more of our plastic wastes, to lessen the volume of what goes into the oceans. Two, we should recycle the plastic wastes, so that the volume of what goes into the oceans will even be lesser.
Adding to what Bacosa said, my own idea of reducing plastic wastes is to prevent the entry of disposable plastic products in the first place. I have many examples of this type of plastic products, but let us start with a few small examples that could help us understand what big impacts they could eventually have on ocean pollution, of course, including land pollution as well. Long before disposable sign pens were invented, the whole world survived by simply using refillable ink pens.
According to records, the “Quink” inks for the refillable sign pens were invented by Francisco Quisumbing, a Filipino chemist. Perhaps it could be said that there was nothing wrong with that invention, except perhaps that it was messy, dirty or inconvenient, depending on your own perspective.
Fast forward to today, our land surfaces and our oceans are now messy and dirty, because of the volume of disposable sign pens that we are throwing away.
Disposable ballpens are, of course, another issue. Despite the fact that refillable ballpens are already available in the market, many government agencies and private companies are still using the disposables, rather than the refillable types.
Perhaps the government could lead by example by banning the use of disposable ballpens by way of an Executive Order.
Later on, the Congress could take the cue by passing a law that could already mandate the private sector. Meanwhile, the private sector could make it part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) to stop buying disposable ballpens and sign pens./PN
