The current situation of the world, when it comes to sustainability and environmentally sound practices, has been on a destructive, declining trend of exploitation and plundering for capitalism. The constant evolution of basic technology, fashion and almost every daily need keeps us moving on, rendering the previous versions useless or obsolete. For example, it is easy and inexpensive to buy daily-use contact lenses and, in fact, research shows that at least over 2% of the population use them.
Did you know that those contact lenses, if you flush them down the drain or in your sink, will most likely end up in the ocean? Since they are denser than water, they sink to the bottom and often end up being ingested by sea creatures. It’s just as bad, or sometimes worse, when these lenses end up in landfills or in soil. When exposed to the sun they become brittle, breaking up into microplastics — again ingested by insects, birds, and any smaller animals that will ultimately enter the food chain. As compared to LASIK surgery, people using daily disposable lenses stand four times the risk of contracting a sight-threatening disease, and people using extended wear lenses stand twenty times the risk. It is a much cheaper, long-term option to have surgery, as compared to the lifelong spending on lenses or glasses, while being environmentally sustainable and viable, with significantly less physical waste.
In some countries, people have the habit of throwing away glass bottles on beaches, which inevitably enter the sea — with pressure and enough time, the bottles are broken down into glass pebbles, unnecessarily littering the beach. Glass may be considered relatively harmless to the environment, but it is a material that is meant to be reused — it is easy to sterilize, can be repurposed when broken down, but it is a worldly disappointment and a wasteful pile-up, when thrown away on beaches. Each time you end up with a liquor bottle, think of aesthetic ways to utilise it — like this.
Another highly wasteful product used by many, would be chewing gum — composed entirely of plastics, polymers and resins, combined with sweeteners, flavouring and colour. These gums are indigestible, non-biodegradable and are often confused by animals as food. It is said that chewing gums take more than five years, and some up to a thousand years to decompose, which is more unsustainable over time with the mass production and unregulated consumption, worldwide. Chewing gums and cigarette butts contribute to the most litter accumulated on a regular basis, entering the food chain often in the form of microplastics.
Landfills are saturated with sanitary waste — hospital waste, diapers, napkins and tampons, that cannot be of any further use, nor are they compostable or biodegradable. Instead of contributing to this pile of waste, we can consciously opt for more sustainable products like these biodegradable sanitary napkins and menstrual cups. There are also safe, medically certified reusable diapers that come with highly absorbent, interchangeable pads. Now, unfortunately, with the outbreak of the Coronavirus, there are also goggles, protective suits, masks and gloves adding to the pile of waste. Instead of using disposable masks, we could easily switch to the cloth masks which are washable, reusable and made of thicker layers — which makes them more protective than the disposable type.
On a daily basis we are faced with many situations where we can make smarter choices to improve the environment around us. Be sure to refuse that plastic straw each time you have a juice or any beverage outside — suggest vendors to make the switch to paper straws, or better yet, carry your own steel straws and use them whenever you need to. They come with a cleaning tool, and are very easy to use. There are even bamboo straws which are easily available, lightweight, and will barely occupy space in your bag. Refuse to buy lighters, use matches instead, which also cost significantly less and are biodegradable. Adopt a habit of consuming more organic products instead of chemically treated food items. Make juice and other snacks for yourself at home instead of getting the plastic packaged, heavily sweetened and preserved ones — or better still, simply eat the whole fresh fruit and you can gain all the nutrients it can give you, without the artificial flavouring — which is dangerously addictive too. The little adjustments you make towards a cleaner, greener way of life can impact the world to also be cleaner and greener for you — thereby keeping land free from waste, keeping water and air free from pollution, and having the best health, ensuring a future where your efforts are positively returned for your benefit.
