By Maria College Communications Specialist Nick Viviano, ’19
Among the Critical Concerns outlined by the Sisters of Mercy is care for the earth: “We believe in the need for sustainability of life, supporting both a lifestyle and legislation that acknowledge everyone’s right to water and the need to address climate change.”
Every year, June 5th is acknowledged as World Environment Day, and for 2023, the theme is finding solutions to plastic pollution and limiting plastic consumption. In this blog post, we will detail how we as a society can keep in line with the Sisters’ mission to work toward the sustainability of all life by caring for Earth’s ecosystems. In doing so, we are prolonging our time here on Earth, aiding in the protection of various wildlife in diverse biomes, and in preserving our natural resources.
As I am sure you are all aware, plastic is everywhere, with more than 400 million tons of plastic being produced annually. Of that absurd amount, only around 10 percent is being recycled! Even more staggering, around 90% of the plastic items in our daily lives are used only once and then thrown away. If we start to consciously pay attention to what plastics we use and when and how often we use them, we can find alternatives in our day-to-day lives and our plastic footprint will shrink.
Make a list of the plastic products you use! This visual guide will aid in our mission to eliminate single-use plastics. Things such as grocery bags, plastic wrap, disposable cutlery, straws, and coffee cup lids are non-essential items that can easily be replaced with sustainable versions. Substituting plastics with materials such as glass, natural fiber cloth such as organic cotton, wool, hemp, or bamboo, and even wood, will make a significant difference in lowering our plastic consumption.
Stop buying bottled water! Water is essential for life here on Earth. However, water that is stored in plastic bottles contributes to the close to 20 million plastic bottles tossed away annually in the trash. Find yourself one of the many reusable non-plastic bottles to use for water storage, and you will not be tempted to buy plastic bottles again. If you are worried about the quality of your tap water, you can always find filtration systems to filter out the toxins. Yes, it may take some effort, but it is all about the bigger picture.
Another major way to help limit plastic pollution is preparing more food at home. Not only is this healthier for the consumer, but also eliminates the plastic containers, eating utensils, packaging, and bags used by restaurants and other eating establishments. Several items of plastic can be part of any given take-out or restaurant meal. As the buildup gets bigger to an overwhelming proportion, it gets more difficult to manage. Cook more; your body and the environment will thank you for it!
This may seem like the obvious one, but, recycle! Recycle when you can. Many of our communities now have separate bins designated for recyclables. Do you become confused about which bin to use? All you have to do is check the bottom of the container and it will be marked with a number. Most beverage and liquid cleaner bottles will be marked with a #1, which is commonly accepted by most curbside recycling companies. Containers marked with a #2 will take milk and juice bottles, and laundry detergent. Containers marked with a #5 will take plastic cutlery, yogurt and margarine tubs, and ketchup bottles. Just taking the time to check your packaging will go a long way.
Ultimately, this is all up to us. The responsibility falls on our shoulders to help protect the conditions that support life on Earth. Small steps can lead to the giant leaps of action that are necessary to change the world. Having a healthier, more sustainable planet will only better us in the long run. If we can take some of these suggestions and start to apply them daily, there is no reason that we will not see change in the near future.