Earth Day: Planet vs. Plastics

EARTH Day is a time for people everywhere to learn about the problems affecting the health of our planet, brainstorm methods to solve them and implement solutions that will save the Earth. Human habits constantly undergo sudden changes and each of these changes have an impact on our environment. This includes the increased use of household plastics, our dependence on single-use plastics and discarding plastics in a manner that causes it to end up in our oceans or landfills or even burned, affecting the air we breathe. 

The theme of Earth Day this 2024 is Planet vs. Plastics and the title indicates the harm that plastics can have on the natural environment. Plastics are considered harmful since some forms of plastics can take hundreds or even thousands of years to break down. This means that these plastics remain right where we dispose of them, where they harm plants, animals and the environment that we depend on for our survival. The photographs of the bloodied sea turtle with a plastic straw stuck in his body or the reports of microplastics found in fish that we eat should cause great alarm and catapult us toward changing our habits so that our plastic consumption reduces and we adopt more sustainable methods of discarding plastic waste.

But first, let’s learn about Earth Day. 

What is Earth Day?

Earth Day was first observed in 1970 when United States Senator Gaylord Nelson built upon an idea by an activist named John McConnell and organized an educational event on April 22nd. He named the event Earth Day and it focused on the environment and the attention it deserves from us. The event/protest spread across the USA and millions of people participated, sparking a movement that would include over 100 countries two decades later in 1990. 

Earth Day has led to crucial decisions by nations to protect the environment and is a major day on the calendar for students, offices, local communities, civil society organizations and passionate individuals to protect the planet for future generations. Based on the 2024 theme for Earth Day, Planet vs. Plastics, here are 3 tried-and-tested ways to reduce plastic pollution and protect the Earth from harmful plastics: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. 

Reduce plastics

The world produced 400+ million metric tons of plastic in 2022 and it has been found that much of this will be discarded after one or a few uses. One of the most effective ways we can reduce our plastic use is to not purchase plastic in the first place. Furthermore, excess greenhouse gases are emitted during the process to produce plastic goods. Rather than purchasing plastic goods, we can opt for alternatives such as metals, glass or wood depending on the product. For example, instead of buying plastic straws, plastic bags or plastic cups, we can opt for stainless steel straws, cloth bags and glass cups which are more sustainable materials that can be used multiple times. This Earth Day, we can contribute toward the effort to reduce plastic waste by not using plastics to begin with. 

Reuse plastics

Nearly 300+ million metric tons of plastic waste is generated each year. This is almost as much as the amount of plastic that is produced. When plastic is discarded, it ends up in habited areas, oceans or it is burned. To reduce the amount of plastic we waste, we can reuse our household plastic items. Plastic is widely used for various products because it is inexpensive, durable and more or less safe to use. But without proper plastic waste management systems, this plastic ends up polluting the environment. If we take a look around our homes, we can find plastic items we can reuse. For example, plastic shampoo bottles or snack containers can be reused as planters or to store dry food items in the kitchen. Earth Day is the perfect time to start reusing our household plastic items and reduce the plastic waste we generate. 

Recycle plastics

An estimated 5 trillion pieces of plastic debris are currently in the oceans, harming marine life and polluting water and food sources. For plastic that cannot be reduced or reused, recycling is an option that benefits both the environment and the economy. Certain forms of plastic cannot be avoided, such as the plastic that covers an air conditioner, laptop or electronic equipment. When these items are no longer in use, recycling is a better option than throwing them away, where there is a high probability they will end up in toxic landfills or polluting the oceans. Placing plastic waste in recycling bins or sending/selling them to waste collectors promotes a circular economy, ensures that plastic waste will be converted into other usable items and fights climate change. 

Take action this Earth Day

It is common to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of environmental damage due to plastics. When we read about the millions of tons of plastic that are discarded, it could cause us to feel that any contribution we make is insignificant. But this is farthest from the truth. Each individual’s effort goes a long way toward healing the planet from the damage done to its oceans, marine life, air, forests, human life and more. This Earth Day, you can take action by reducing, reusing and recycling plastic. If you want to help environmental NGOs in India working in the area of plastic pollution, read our blog on 5 environmental NGOs fighting plastic pollution in India or find environmental fundraisers that you can make a charitable donation to this Earth Day!

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