A Solution to Plastic Pollution

112 years ago it was considered a miracle material, since then plastic has been introduced to almost every aspect of our lives. Its massive production, consumption and improper dumping have drastically polluted our planet to the point where it now poses a serious threat to marine ecosystems, the environment and human health.

The media focuses on visible contamination, like the shocking video of the turtle with a straw caught in its nose that made its way around the world, but the threat is larger than what we see. With time, plastic breaks down to microplastics, residuals not detectable by the human eye but which are still present. They are eaten by small fish, which are eaten by land animals and larger fish, and eventually end up on our plate. Microplastics have been found in the shells of marine organisms, the top of the alps and even human faeces.

There are many incentives across the world to clean up oceans and rivers but the effort of some will not be enough to cope with the continuous waste of billions of people. To save our oceans, rivers, wildlife and people, awareness needs to reach all corners of the earth. When we begin to change our habits we will be tackling the problem at its root.

Consumption and Our Dependence on Plastic

As long as there is a demand, corporations will continue to package their items and produce this harmful material. Plastic consumption and production is still increasing every year, but we can turn this around. With every person like you who begins to make the conscious choice, change can start to take place. With every person who speaks up and supports a movement against plastic, political change can be achieved so that plastic is no longer an option.

Meditation to Help the Environment

By meditating 5 minutes every day you will increase your consciousness and empathy. This will have a major impact to the environment by bringing calmness to your world and awareness to yourself and others of the consequences of our acts towards the environment. 5 minutes can help not only to realise the harm we are causing to the environment but also to start making a change.

Being conscious of our behaviours and that they matter, we can begin to make a change:

• Whenever we have a choice - use bioplastics, reuse containers and avoid extra packaging for your food.

• Use a glass bottle - help the environment, reduce plastic ingestion.

• Adjust our food purchases to reduce waste:

  1. Make a list, a plan of what you will eat
  2. Stick to that plan
  3. Keep track of what you throw away, to spot patterns.

• Keep the environment in mind when we shop - do I really need it?

We have reached a critical stage where humanity needs to unite, change our habits for environmentally friendly ones. Cities like Singapore show us a glimpse of what life in harmony with the nature could be, with forests within buildings, creating a balance that the lives of thousands of species and our own depend on.