“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
A few weeks ago, I had quite a unique experience that made me realize the magnitude of waste generated by plastic bottles. It is through this blog that I would like to address this issue and teach you how to tackle it.
It all began when I went to Jaipur for a much-needed break from my hectic exam schedule. At the hotel, all plastic bottles had been replaced by their glass counterparts. While leaving for a picnic I dialed room service and asked them for a bottle of water. Momentarily, there was a knock on my door. I was greeted by quite an unfamiliar sight. The waiter was holding a can. Impulsively I said,” I’m sorry, but think you are at the wrong room. I hadn’t ordered a soft drink; I had ordered a bottle of water.” He replied,” Sir. This is water, but not in a bottle. It is in this way that our hotel cuts down on most of its plastic waste.”
Startled by this statistic, I took to my phone and researched plastic waste that was solely contributed by bottles. The numbers were astonishing. Roughly 8 million tons of plastic bottles enter our oceans each year making plastic bottles the 2nd largest contributor to pollution in our oceans. Calculations show that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic bottles than fish in our oceans. On average, humans consume a credit card's worth of plastic each week!
The key to addressing the plastic problem lies in committing to greener alternatives. Instead of simply dumping the plastic bottles after use, Indian organizations like “Responsible Whatr”, work on reducing plastic waste by using recyclable alternatives, as simple as replacing plastic bottles with cans or glass. As students, we must reduce our dependency on plastic items such as bottles and bags. Instead, we should strive towards adopting sustainable alternatives like cans. Consider shopping from sustainable brands and companies like Responsible Whatr which are dedicated to reducing their plastic consumption. It is also imperative to follow the 4R Mantra – reduce, reuse recycle and refuse. My friends, waste delayed is waste denied. The climate is changing and so must our actions, one bottle, one day, and one life at a time.
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