Each year, 400 million ton of plastic is produced and 40% of that is single-use – the plastic we’ll only use once before it’s put into the trash. While you may think a simple grocery bag, drinks bottle or a straw is virtually harmless given its small size, the Earth’s plastic waste has become a worldwide crises. In fact, experts think that by 2050, the amount of plastic in the ocean will weigh more than the amount of fish in the ocean.
All animals, whether they live on land or in the sea, can be hurt by plastic. Birds, fish and shellfish can mistake plastic for food when it has broken down into smaller pieces. Plastic pollution affects 700 different marine species. Other estimates have suggested a death toll of at least 100 million marine animals annually, due to plastic pollution. One in three sea turtles, and around 90% of seabirds have eaten it. They can’t digest plastic so their stomach can become full, meaning they don’t have room for actual food.
Plastic pollution negatively impacts almost every living organism in the world’s oceans. Because we are the source of plastic pollution, human beings must take action to improve the quality of life for marine animals. This is one Earth, and we are all responsible to take our own action. Not only should we minimise the use of plastics in our daily lives — which is possible, given plastic alternatives available everywhere, including here in Qatar — but we should also recycle the waste as much as possible. As winter begins, many of us in Qatar will spend the time in the desert. It’s occasions like these where we need to make sure that plastic is properly disposed of. This is our Earth, our home, our country — and if you are willing to leave plastic on a sand dune, you must realise you are single-handling contributing to the end of animal species, marine life, and killing off creatures that help our worldwide eco-system.
Even those living in landlocked countries need to be aware that balloons at a birthday party can blow for miles before landing in the sea and being ingested by fish.
More than 50 nations – from the Galapagos Islands to India and from Rwanda to China – are taking action to reduce plastic pollution. The UN has compiled a list of what each of these countries are doing. Plastic bags are banned in Kenya. India’s Prime Minister pledged to eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022, with an immediate ban in urban Delhi. Many other European countries have introduced a tax on plastic bags, while China, Kenya and Morocco have implemented a ban on thin plastic bags. But as with most things that affect our planet, we shouldn’t wait to be told what to do. Our individual actions together can collectively ensure we are part of the solution…not part of the problem.
*The author is an expert in vegan wellbeing and health. Instagram handle: @Ghanim92
By Ghanim al-Sulaiti
