Last weekend at the PADI Women’s Dive Day, most of the garbage we collected was composed of single-use plastic or what we commonly refer to as sachets! You name it – coffee, milk, shampoo, detergent, and toothpaste are marketed and sold as affordable sachets,
Garbage collected at the PADI Women’s Dive Day beach clean up on July 21, 2022 at Caban Cove, Anilao, Batangas
These single-use plastics are made from petroleum byproducts that are not biodegradable. They degrade into tiny particles called microplastics about 5 mm and, in the process, release toxic chemicals. We have become accustomed to this disposable plastic to cut and throw without thinking about the repercussions.
The repercussions of using microplastics greatly affect us.
According to Dr. Nicola Williams, exposure to microplastics “Can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and dermal absorption due to their omnipresence in air, water, food, and consumer products.” She said that research has shown that “microplastics can act as endocrine disruptors, thus interfering with normal hormone function and potentially causing weight gain. Certain microplastics, such as flame retardants, are thought to interfere with fetal brain development; likewise, they can affect normal brain development in children.
Dr. Deo Florence Onda, a marine scientist at the Marine Science Institute in the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman, said the Philippines is the fifth-largest contributor of marine plastics in the world. Indonesia, India, US, Thailand, and Brazil are just ahead of the Philippines.
Our fishermen reported that they catch mostly plastic and other garbage in their fishing nets. An Oxfam report quotes a local fisherman, “Now when we cut open some fish, we would find traces of plastic. [We’re] worried that we’ve been eating contaminated fish.”
Plastic pollution is real and deadly. Do you do your part in minimizing plastic waste?
1. Ditch all throwaway plastic packaging. Eliminate using and purchasing sachets or single-use plastics like plastic bags, water bottles, cups, utensils, and take-out containers.
2. Join Cleanups! You don’t have to wait next year for the next PADI Women’s Dive Day Beach Clean Up. You can go to a beach, river, and even the nearest canal in your neighborhood to collect plastic waste. Make it a habit to pick up garbage.
3. Support government legislation. The House of Representatives passed the Single-use Plastic Products Regulation Act (House Bill No. 9147) on July 28, 2021. The bill prohibits producing, importing, and selling many single-use food-packaging products. If the bill passes in the Senate, non-compostable plastic products like plates, cups, cutlery, expanded polystyrene, film wrap, and sachets would be phased out within four years, and other products such as straws, stirrers, and bags thinner than 10 microns within one year. Violators will be fined between P50,000 and P500,000 for small businesses and P250,000 to P1 million for bigger firms.
4. Avoid using products with microplastics. Look for ‘polyethylene’ or ‘polypropylene .’ These chemicals are common in personal care and cosmetic products. A test conducted by Beat, the Microbead organization, showed that every time you use anti-wrinkle cream, “you put about 90,000 plastic particles on your face! .. If microplastics manage to enter our body, they have the potential to interfere with our organs.” If you want to check what brands contain microplastics, click here.
5. Remember the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, which is all about minimizing the amount of waste we produce, reusing products as much as possible, and remembering to recycle any materials for a new purpose.
I’ll be away next week to celebrate my birthday.
It will be my first time traveling abroad since the start of pandemic. I’ll be back on August 3 and will start a new series to Clear Blocks to Prosperity, a Scent and Sound healing session to release stress, and a weekend rebirthing retreat.
In October, an all-women gathering called the Awakened Woman, another co-facilitated session with Bali. Register ahead to take advantage of the special early bird rate.
Keep up with the practice while I’m away. My inbox is always open to you.
In loving service,
Rosan
