Almost everyone has heard about the environmental issue that surrounds microplastics and plastic pollution. However, we still are ineffective at bringing long-lasting change to our environment.
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, as of 2020 (four whole years ago), "57 million tons (52 million metric tons) of plastic waste" were not properly disposed of, causing particles of plastic to be floating in the ocean, air, and even our own bloodstream.
The main cause of this rising issue is that lack of waste collection sites in most communities. With the absence of proper care, regular people are forced to come up with ways such as burning waste, or dumping it back into the earth and streams. This ineffective ways stem from not just our lack of education on how to care of our own planet, but also from the inaccessibility of resources. Plastic pollution has been in the media for more than 50 years; however, if anything, the issue is exponentially worse now.
What can we do?
First, let's have a growth mindset in terms of sparking or incorporating change.
Here are steps all of us can take:
Accept that you will make mistakes, and that those mistakes are the stepping stones to progressing.
2. Find inspiration from others to help you reach your goal
3. Accept feedback and support whenever you can- this is how you improve
4. Don't be afraid to make yourself known (you're unique for a reason, and you shouldn't fear anything that might set you back)
Now that this mindset is established, how can we actively make change in our own communities? Well, remember that every effort, big or small, makes an impact. In order to educate students, establishing a trash and recycling bin in multiple hallways will help remind students of the basics of waste recycling. Additionally, recycling drives encourage not only students, but parents to also contribute by bringing in large cardboard cutouts, styrofoam, or mass-scale glass waste in. In your local community, you can spread informational flyers on waste recycling, lead a community cleanup, or even create a community garden with its own waste recycling station.
There are so many ways that we can encourage each other to make change in our community. All projects are impactful, and in order to make a change and offer solutions, we must first educate each other to move forward.
Here's the Smithsonian Magazine Article for more information on the plastic pollution crisis: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/humans-pollute-the-environment-with-57-million-tons-of-plastic-each-year-study-suggests-180985026/
