by Sammy Borlaza
[Ecothon Stories Campaign]
The progress that the world has made today is much better compared to early civilizations. Such changes came about due to many discoveries, inventions, and technological advancements, that added convenience to the lives of many, which gives life new flavor and makes it more meaningful. We all love to embrace modernity and new advancements, but as we go further, the world would be at risk and eventually will cause harm or destruction to our environment and the people in it.
With mass production, tons of garbage and waste are produced annually, causing environmental degradation, exploitation, and a heartbreakingly alarming rapid depletion of natural and non-renewable resources which calls for action. Having all these observations as a citizen, a consumer of various products, and a contributor to waste production, I was challenged on how to save the world. By all means, I can be one among the others who make efforts that can step-by-step help address global issues, and start leading a sustainable life. Also, the idea is that if we get to enjoy the life we have at present, future generations also have equal rights and the chance to live their best life in a place where they have access to resources and gifts that the Earth can give. In my perspective, showing concern and empathy along with other mentioned reasons are enough to be motivated and start living sustainably. We don’t want young citizens to see the Earth in its last breath before they can fully understand what it is like to live in this world. I always believe that we humans are fully capacitated in doing things gearing towards the betterment of all, and that really happens when we know when and where to start.
My journey of a sustainable simple life begins when I opt to limit or get rid of the single-use stuff/products. From the term itself, after it had served its purpose, the trash bin becomes its final destination – thus adding to the bulk of garbage. Whenever I am going somewhere, having a reusable drinking bottle or tumbler is a great advantage for it will not just keep me hydrated but also help me save money where I don’t need to purchase bottled water from the store and somehow I support the campaign, #NoToSingleUsePlastic. By doing so, I’m not contributing to the 380 million tons of plastic waste produced yearly as reported by www.theplasticocean.org. Further, as the world cannot fully eliminate the use of plastic that takes a century to dissolve, utilizing reusable shopping bags or eco-bags became my practice whenever going to grocery stores together with some handy food containers as storage intended for wet and liquid-based products. Having these reusable shopping bags and food containers will not just help minimize the use of plastics and paper bags, but its durability and reusable property are truly an edge. This will not add to our household waste considering that some plastic and eco-bags cannot be reused anymore.
As a university student who is into writing notes, I switched to using sprout or plantable pencils because I truly admire the idea that these pencils can be planted once their length is cut short. This will not just help me transcribe the thoughts rushing in my mind in making notes, but after the pencil has been used, you can expect that a plant will soon grow into a vegetable or a flower. It’s very nature-friendly, making the environment greener!
Although these might be some basic ways to start and have a sustainable life, it truly creates reform especially when it comes to plastic use and waste. One of the positive impacts or benefits of using reusable drinking bottles, shopping bags/eco-bags, and sprout pencils, is we do not contribute to the growing statistics on plastic waste but we promote a sustainable lifestyle. My efforts will resonate because I know I’m not alone in this advocacy and eventually we’ll see where this will go! Embrace Sustainability!
The author of this article is Sammy Borlaza, a Fourth Year, BS Social Work Student at Bicol University Tabaco Campus.