Do your part to save Mother Earth

Volunteers clearing rubbish from our beaches which are constantly littered with plastic products like bags, straws and wrappers. — Filepic

GROWING up in the 1970s, I recall that almost everything was wrapped with paper.

People left provision shops, retail outlets and even textile stores carrying brown paper bags with strings made of twisted coconut fibre as handles.

They were strong and reused many times. Once no longer usable, they would be placed together with old newspapers and cardboards and sold to the “paper lama” or old newspaper collector.

Brown paper bags are hardly used anymore as they have been replaced with plastic bags.

These bags are used for a short period before being discarded, and worse, end up in our rivers and oceans.

We live in a “throwaway” culture and often don’t think twice about the damage this can do to the environment.

Instead of recycling glass bottles into storage jars or even lamps, we would rather throw them away.

Worse is the widespread availability of single-use plastics, which cost 20sen to buy at supermarket checkout counters.

Single-use plastics should be reduced when eating out. ― Filepic

Each time I shop at a grocer in Subang Jaya, the person at the counter would ask if I wanted a plastic bag.

I always answer, “No, thank you.” Out comes the large cloth bag as I find it is the easiest thing I can do to help Mother Earth.

It is time shoppers bring their own bags and save almost RM60 a year, not to mention the good it would do for the planet.

Durable eco-friendly bags are the perfect choice as they can carry heavier loads.

It would be good if stores could offer discounts if shoppers bring their own bags.

As Malaysians, we enjoy street food but often overlook the impact of packaging used for takeaways.

We should all take a leaf from Tengku Zatashah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who called on consumers to bring their own containers when packing food and drinks at hawker stalls.

The Selangor princess, who is the founder and advocate of #SayNo2Plastic Malaysia, said practising sustainability year-round could have a significant impact in reducing waste.

“Let’s make conscious choices and work together to change our behaviour,” she said during a recent event.

We should take heed of Tengku Zatashah’s advice to make a difference and reduce single-use plastics.

Disposable drink bottles and plastic bags often end up in drains and make their way into rivers and oceans.

The plastic breaks down into smaller pieces where marine life often mistake it for food.

We ourselves end up ingesting the microplastics when we eat seafood.

In line with the Earth Day theme to “Invest in Our Planet”, it is time the government bans single-use plastics in an effort to achieve zero plastic waste to ensure a better environment.

The Rotaract Global Clean-Up Day earlier this month saw local volunteers cleaning up Pantai Remis in Jeram, Kuala Selangor.

Among the top items picked up at the shoreline were straws, drink packets, plastic bottles, plastic cup lids and plastic wrappers that marred the area and pose a threat to wildlife.

One easy way to green gifts is to stop buying commercial wrapping paper and use recyclable paper instead.

When I was in primary school, my creative mum used the wrapper of a famous tea brand to wrap several of my textbooks.

It looked cool and saved money, time and trees.

Big changes start with small steps. So, bring an eco bag to the store.