There have been numerous discussions and talks regarding how to tackle the menace of plastic waste generated by our society in the recent years and it has resulted in many suggestions and actions to curb or reduce the generation of plastic waste through public awareness and proper waste management / treatment but the major issue still remains with the attitude of our society.
In a given area where such seminars are held on this issue, you hardly find a substantial presence of locals who could benefit from the talk and also impact the society by acting on the suggestions and actions provided by few social reformers who are trying their best to inculcate the good practices among the masses. Out of the few who do attend such seminars, half of them might take keen interest on the subject and the number reduces further when it comes to implementing on the suggestions or procedures laid down. You cannot expect good results with such scenario.
There are groups of people trying to bring a change for the betterment of our society but it is difficult for them to do everything. We need to realise that each and every one of us should take responsibility to make a major impact on this issue. Let us help the groups/ organisations whenever possible and also inculcate a sense of responsibility in ourselves to do something towards the issue, even if it is a small thing.
There have been groups distributing cloth bags & paper bags to shopkeepers as well as the general public to reduce the use and sale of plastic bags. It is a good step towards tackling this issue, as it reduces the use of plastic and also reduces wastage of old clothes and paper by utilising them as bags. Various workshops have been taken up by few persons to make these cloth and paper bags, where the public have donated their old clothes and papers as their contribution to tackle this issue.
While attending such seminars on this issue, I have come across many well spoken and knowledgeable persons who have enlightened my mind on the ways that we can contribute individually to create a better environment for our society. Here, I would like to share one of the many advice's that I have come across which is relatively easy to follow through.
One of the speaker shared his personal experience of how he has managed to do his part on this issue. He asked every one of us to keep a spare bag (it can be any bag, even plastic bag) in our vehicles, two-wheeler or four-wheeler as a general habit. This is because we usually carry a bag from home when we specifically move out for marketing (atleast few of us do, hope the numbers increase) instead of asking it from the vendors but we find ourselves in a dilemma when we go to market after office or some other work, when we had not planned for marketing and are left at the mercy of the vendor providing us the plastic bag to carry the things bought by us. This situation can be resolved if we carry a bag in our vehicles, as it can come handy and also avoid buying more plastic bags from the vendors. Initially it might take time to inculcate this habit (as with any other new habit), but once it becomes a habit you will feel good about it. The speaker too had issues initially, but he made it a point not to buy plastic bags from vendors, instead he made multiple trips to the parking lot to keep the items in his car whenever he didn't have a bag with him. This helped him to train his mind to compulsorily keep a bag in his car the next time he moved out from home.
After the seminar, I made a commitment to do the same and have kept a carry bag in my two-wheeler and asked my wife to do the same and it has helped us a lot. I request each and every one of you to start doing the same and spread a word about this. If you are doing it already, then I am glad to have joined your group.
Small efforts like this will generate great results when done on a large scale. All we need to do is to generate awareness and a sense of responsibility in the hearts of our family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues and the general public.
Kindly share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section. Thank you.
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