Small actions, big impacts: Saving the environment one step at a time
www.dw.com/en/un-resolves-to-end-ocean-plastic-waste/a-41690999)
The science does not lie. A 2015 study by the Ocean Conservancy states that our oceans will be filled with nearly 250 million metric tons of plastic by 2050 with roughly 8 million metric tons of plastic leaking out of the global economy and into the ocean each year. Along with China, Indonesia, and Vietnam, the Philippines is among the countries with the most number of plastic wastes being dumped into the seas.
The Philippines has a plastic pollution crisis on its hands and we don’t even know it. A March 2019 audit produced by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) has shown a shocking amount of single-use plastic waste in the Philippines. The report states that nearly 60 billion sachets, 17 billion shopping bags, and 16.5 billion transparent or labo bags are wasted every year.
Despite the enactment of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Act since 2001, the country is still facing a huge waste disposal problem annually. So, how do we, as citizens of this country, contribute to reducing unnecessary waste accumulation and eventually help our environment?
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. There is a reason why we have been taught of this practice and were trained to do it religiously in school. These three simple words can make a huge and positive impact on our environmental situation. Reducing entails not producing anymore waste than needed. This includes simple everyday practices such as carpooling or walking, donating instead of disposing, writing or printing on both sides of the paper, and composting food. Reusing, on the other hand, means avoiding single-use items like plastic water bottles and grocery bags, and instead opting for reusable options. Lastly, recycling is beneficial in so many ways. Not only are we preventing recyclable items from ending up in landfill where it can take 100’s of years to decompose, but we’re giving recyclable items a chance to get made into something else.
Switching to more sustainable alternatives
For us at the World Bazaar Festival this 2019, we realized that as an organization that is able to bridge opportunities between businesses and consumers, we also wanted to use that capability to educate and emphasize the importance of environmental consciousness to our fellow Filipinos. Thus, Woobie’s Eco-World is born!
Woobie’s Eco-World is created with the goal of promoting environmental awareness and sustainability in mind. This new feature in the World Bazaar Festival will be comprised of brands who are selling eco-friendly products. If by chance you, dear reader, is a brand or knows a brand that promotes the environmental advocacy through their products, Woobie’s Eco-World welcomes you with open arms!
Interested applicants simply need to submit their company’s product photos and DTI or SEC permit to worldbazaarfestival@gmail.com. Join us as we give back to the environment and help save mother earth together!
Organized by Worldbex Services International and presented in partnership with ABS-CBN, the 19th World Bazaar Festival is happening on December 14 to 23, 2019 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM). For more information, follow @worldbazaarfestival on Facebook and Instagram, call (632) 8656-9239, or email inquire@worldbexevents.com.
http://environews.ph/waste/2018-world-environment-day-philippines-wages-war-vs-plastic-waste/
https://learn.eartheasy.com/guides/the-best-eco-friendly-alternatives-for-the-plastic-in-your-life/
https://www.naturalhomebrands.com/blogs/news/the-importance-of-the-three-r-s
https://salvagespace.com/blog/importance-of-the-3-rs-reduce-reuse-recycle/