A 2015 report on plastic pollution done by Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for Business and Environment is said to have ranked the Philippines as the third top plastic polluter in the world. A pilot whale was found dead in Thailand with almost 20 pounds of plastic in its stomach. Just the other day, news broke out that microplastics have been found in human feces. It is no longer surprising. If animals ingest plastics by accident and meat is part of our diet, these microplastics will eventually find its way into our gut.
It also does not help that plastics proliferate, especially here in the Philippines, due to the ‘tingi’ (sachet) concept where products are repackaged into one-time use plastic sachets for convenience, sanitation, and affordability by the less fortunate.
Recently, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines, together with Ayala Malls and other partner corporations, officially launched #AyokoNgPlastik — a movement that hopes to address these alarming facts by bringing together companies, individuals, and other sectors to minimize and eventually eradicate single-use plastics such as straws, bags, bottles, and caps by refusing to use them.
Ayala Malls, one of the biggest shopping mall developers in the country, has made a commitment to fully support the #AyokoNgPlastik campaign. Its Deputy Head, Mariana Zobel De Ayala, announced that they would have drop-off points in its malls for plastics, which in turn will be turned into ecobricks. In previous years, Ayala Malls already began focusing on sustainable living and last year, implemented the “no plastic shopping bags” across all Ayala Malls.
Cibo, one of the partner corporations supporting #AyokoNgPlastik movement, presented. WWF-Philippines with a check for PhP 221,841.07 representing the amount it hasdsaved for stopping its use of plastic straws (whew, I didn’t realize so much money could be saved just by that one small act!).
Aside from those I already mentioned, the other official partners of the #AyokoNgPlastik movement include National Geographic, Bellevue Hotels and Resorts, Bo’s Coffee, Corkcicle, Coffee Project, Daluyon Beach and Mountain Resort, Puerto Pensiion Inn, FoodPanda, HSBC, Impact Hub Manila, IVO, The Lind Boracay, The Moment Group, Toby’s Estate, CIBO, and CNN Philippines.
In an effort to do my part at home, I have been ecobricking our plastic waste. It takes time and effort to cut these up, stuff them densely into plastic liter bottles (ecobricked bottles can be incorporated in construction work as they are even sturdier than hollow blocks). But ecobricking is not enough, as I realized. The amount of plastic waste we get accumulates faster than I can ecobrick them.
The near-term solution is really to REFUSE to bring these plastics home. It helps that many fastfood outlets have stopped using plastic straws now. I always have metal straws and stainless steel utensils in my bag so I need not use plastics when outside.
For now, it is baby steps towards a plastic-less world but we need to start doing something. Whatever we can do in our own homes, schools, offices, and other spaces to stop using plastics, especially single-use plastics, will already help. Wherever you are, always say #AyokoNgPlastik!!!
