Through the years, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija has faced a severe garbage disposals
that some garbage collectors can even form a mountain made out of garbage that mostly consists of plastic (e.g. fastfood condiments, plastic bags, etc.). The small town made a little step in protecting and helping for the betterment of our environment by the means of reducing the use of plastic materials—being the first environment-friendly city in the whole Region III, Central Luzon.
Nueva Ecija Journal said that this was all possible after the city council passed Ordinance 015-2012 or the "No Plastic Ordinance" prohibiting the use of plastics bags and styrofoam containers in commercial establishments in the city. Market-goers are now required to bring their own eco-bag, basket or bayong when buying goods from markets or grocery stores. The ordinance also prohibits the use and sale of and offer to sell plastic bags in grocery stores, supermarkets, department stores, malls, food chains, restaurants, canteens, drug stores, market stalls, auto part shops and similar establishments.
(Photo from https://www.triplepundit.com/2017/12/dell-launches-worlds-first-ocean-plastics-supply-chain/)
What does plastics contribute to global warming, anyway?
According to 1 Bag At A Time, plastic bags and climate change are linked in a variety of ways. From air quality to ocean toxicity, plastic bags contribute to eco-system disruptionthe build up of plastic in our oceans is a greater cause of eco-system disruption. An estimated 100,000 marine animals die each year from suffocating on or ingesting bags. Even that number this seems small when you consider the impact of littered bags that break up into small pieces and wash into our waterways. These small pieces of plastic are accumulating at an alarming rate in our oceans.
All this plastic is toxic and may be affecting our food supply. One of the main toxins is dioxin, an endocrine disruptor, or so-called gender-bender pollutant. Sea Bass and other fish with intersex characteristics have been found int he Potomac River and other areas. Increased levels of man-made pollutants are showing up in remote areas like the arctic, affecting polar bears and other arctic mammals and further adding to the stress of adapting to new climate realities and habitat changes. We really should wonder how these pollutants are affecting us!
Many people responsibly dispose of their bags, but even when disposed of properly, they can pose a threat. Dioxin and other toxins can leach out of landfills, further contaminating waterways and oceans.
Are paper bags really the answer?
Paper bags were used as an alternative to plastics, but are paper bags the only choice Cabanatuan City has? Paper bags are also disposable, therefore it also somehow contribute to tons of garbages the community has.
According to a Science website, there are actually 10 substitutes for plastics. First is, we can all use glasses, because glasses are made from sand, while plastics are usually derived from fossil fuels—using glasses just like the old milkmen and mothers do, sometimes going back in time is a good thing. Second is to use reusable shopping bags, which can be used whatever the occasion is. Third is plastic additives, while some people are busy developing plastic substitutes, others are bent on making conventional thermoplastics biodegradable. How? By throwing in additives called prodegradant concentrates (PDCs). PDCs are usually metal compounds, such as cobalt stearate or manganese stearate. Microorganisms gobble up the fragments as they disintegrate, turning them into carbon dioxide, water and biomass, which reportedly contains no harmful residues. Fourth is milk protein, this may sound weird, but scientists say it could help to produce a biodegradable plastic for furniture cushions, insulation, packaging and other products. Fifth is chicken feathers, chicken feathers are composed almost entirely of keratin, a protein so tough that it can give strength and durability to plastics. Sixth is liquid wood, a promising new bioplastic, or biopolymer, called liquid wood. Biopolymers fake it; these materials look, feel and act just like plastic but, unlike petroleum-based plastic, they're biodegradable. Seventh is PCL Polyesters, a synthetic aliphatic polyester that isn't made from renewable resources but does completely degrade after six weeks of composting. It's easily processed but hasn't been used in significant quantities because of manufacturing costs. Eight is PHA Polyesters, these biodegradable plastics closely resemble man-made polypropylene. While they're still less flexible than petroleum-based plastics, you'll find them in packaging, plastic films and injection-molded bottles. Ninth is PLA Polyesters, it decomposes within 47 days in an industrial composting site, won't emit toxic fumes when burned and manufacturing them uses 20 to 50 percent less fossil fuels than petroleum-based plastic. Last, but definitely, not the least, is starch-based polymers, a totally biodegradable, low-cost, renewable and natural polymer.
Empowering the environmentalists and scientists
Though the Department of Science & Technology (DOST) has a big and enough budget for these kind of instances, it is still lacking in preserving the environment. They must give more fund for researching purposes, and to make the research happen in real life context. This is all for the betterment of our society; a step away in innovating.
REFERENCE
Giuggio V., Trimarchi M. (2013, October 23). Top 10 Eco-friendly Substitutes for Plastic. Retrieved from
(2013, June 16). Cabanatuan approves ‘no plastic’ ordinance. Retrieved from https:// www.facebook.com/nuevaecijajournal/posts/10151651778324650
Plastic Bags and Climate Change. Retrieved from https://1bagatatime.com/learn/plastic-bags-climate-change/
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