International Plastic Bag Free Day is celebrated every year on July 3. The aim is to encourage nations to start banning single-use plastics. Did you know that approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used worldwide? There are many environmental, climate, and economic crises caused by Plastic and plastic products. Plastic decays slowly. They are directly harmful to wildlife. Just think about how many of these bags will end up littered all over the planet. While numerous plastics manufacturers call attention to the that these things can be reused, actually under 10% of plastic is reused. It can require as long as 500 years for plastic bags to deteriorate, so they stay in our lands, and water system and finally destroy our environment.
When we look at the history of plastic bags, in 1933 Polyethylene is found and it’s the fundamental part of single-utilized plastic. After that in 1965, The 1st plastic bag is made. the Swedish organization called “Celloplast” found the various kind of uses of single-utilized plastic bags by inventing them. In a very short time period in 1997, The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is found. Marine specialist Charles Moore finds the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a 1.6 million square kilometers drifting mass of plastic and waste. The very saddest story is in 2019, Single-utilized plastic particles are found 35,849 feet beneath the outer layer of the sea in the Mariana Trench.
As humans, we have the responsibility to protect the world. Stop using plastic bags and it’s started to be decreasing the demand for them. Start to Reduce, reuse, and recycle from today! Try to use plastic alternatives. Not only is it important to do so, but it’s easy and cheaper to use reusable, eco-friendly bags.
So, International Plastic Bag Free Day searches for more secure choices & alternative solutions for plastics. As a result, many Associations, Organizers & and Volunteers searching for answers to the plastic crisis, to make the earth more secure for people and natural life.
One of the most engaging Sri Lankan Volunteering organizations, Zero Plastic says no to plastic, and we focus on three main goals. Zero Plastic’s mission is to create a behavioral change among Sri Lankan citizens to reduce Plastic waste while building demand for plastic substitutes produced by local entrepreneurs.
Zero Plastic National Movement is doing an amazing and great job in, Build social behavior change (SBC) for 3R and Getting people to use sustainable plastic alternatives as their main goals.
As the one person from the 7 billion people on the earth, any place you wind up on July third, from the home to the supermarket, or any other place make a point not to utilize and not to request any plastic bags. Say No Plastic to them proudly!! Be a Zero Plastic Volunteer in the act, because the action is louder than words.
Devini Liyana Gunawardhana
Faculty Of Science
University Of Kelaniya