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[av_heading tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’The season not to be ‘plastic’’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”][/av_heading]
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TODAY starts the traditional nine-day observance of Simbang Gabi across the country leading to Christmas Day. Time and again the Yuletide season remains to be among, if not the most wasteful, festivity that the Filipinos celebrate, contrary to the profound simplicity of the first Christmas observance in a humble manger in Bethlehem, totally waste-free, if we may use the expression.
This paper would like to highlight this time the issue of disposable plastics as these continue to be the most stubborn and persistent trash generated year in, year out. We urge the public to shun these bags and wrappers in celebrating the season, and go for reusable ones instead. Spread love, not trash.
What’s sad and annoying is, disposable plastic carry bags and wrappers are normally used just once by many of us, and immediately find their way into streets, canals, drainage systems, rivers, the ocean, and dumpsites and landfills to create environmental and health havoc for hundreds of years.
But the plastics story is not all sad: Some local governments have passed plastic bag ban and/or regulation ordinances. They prohibit the use of any form of plastic bags on dry goods and regulate their use on wet goods. They also prohibit the use of polystyrene and similar materials as containers for food and other products.
The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act 9003 highlights a provision mandating the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) to make a list, for prohibition, of non-environmentally acceptable products (NEAP), where disposable plastic packaging and containers fit very well. We call on the NSWMC to do its job well by putting disposable plastics in the NEAP list where they belong. We urge the public to join us in pushing the commission to do just that. Who knows, next year’s Christmas might see a wane in disposable plastics.
The season of love, joy and giving should not be celebrated in a shallow manner by flashing fancy smiles and talking empty greetings, while the One whose birthday we celebrate must be looking down on us sadly as we trash His creation in frenzy with our Christmas trash.
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