Plastic waste is a huge problem for earth because it takes more than 100 years to decompose the plastic if we bury it. Plastic has been used for centuries and left many problems not only for nature, but also for animals.
In many documentaries, many news, we can see how plastic damaged nature and animals like the video of turtle with straw stuck in its nose or plastics inside the dead whale. There are lots of evidences about how danger plastic for nature. But the I believe that the one that danger is not plastic, but human. The way human just not manage it really well so that there are tons of plastic waste in everywhere, in the sea and land.
Nowadays the awareness of plastic waste is rising, many people now has more concern to the danger of plastic waste, thanks to social media. There are many movement that helps us to face plastic waste.
- Plastic Waste Payment Method
Usually people will pay transportation they used by using money, whether its cash or with a card. The plastic waste payment method maybe sounds crazy but it is happening in China and Indonesia. In 2012, in Beijing, the first machine for this kind of payment had officially opened. Passengers receives credit ranging from 5 to 15 cents per plastic bottle to ride a subway. In order to do this payment people need to collect more bottles to get more credits.
While in Indonesia, specifically in Surabaya, In April 2018 people can ride a Suroboyo Commuter Bus which is very comfortable and take people around Surabaya city with plastic bottle payment. The Mayor of Surabaya, Tri “Risma” Rismaharini with Surabaya’s government intend to process the plastic into useful goods.
“This is our commitment in handling plastic waste that cannot be destroyed for hundreds of years”, Risma Said.
According to Futures Center website, Indonesia is the world’s second largest contributor only just behind China. Therefore this step may have significant impact
- Say No to Plastic Straw
The idea of Say No to Plastic Straw Campaign is simple but believe it or not, it can save the nature. We just need to stop using plastic straw and use iron or bamboo straw instead which we can use it continuously. If we use plastic straw, we only need it once and then the plastic straw will end up in garbage. If one or two person use it maybe its okay, but let’s multiply with people who eat in restaurants, fast food restaurant and coffee shop DAILY. How many plastic straw that being used and how many of it end up in trash can and eventually, nature will be damaged because of it.
McDonald in Malaysia has implemented the “Say No to Straws” program since 1st of August, KFC in Singapore since June 20 also did the same thing. Moreover, Starbucks also join this movement by company’s commitment to ban plastic straws in all stores by 2020. This movement also being a trend in Indonesia, there are lots of campaign to not using plastic straws in daily basis.
- New Plastic-Like from Plant
In order to replace plastic, we need to think the substitute of plastic which many people are very dependent to plastic. Making a new plastic-like from plant may the solution. Dr. Noryawati Mulyono from Indonesia, the winner of L’Oreal UNESCO for Women in Science National 2010, found that we can replace plastic with seaweed.
Dr. Noryawati found that Seaweed can be formed into sachet just like plastic and glass. After many failed attempts Dr. Noryawati finally found the biomaterial that rich and has good mechanism behavior. Dr. Noryawati said that in order to farm seaweed, the ocean needs to be clear and the farmer of seaweed will maintain the clean ocean because they need clean water to harvest the seaweed.
In 2016, Dr. Noryawati took part in Evoware, a start up in Indonesia co-founded by David Christian and got appreciation from Prof. Dr. Emil Salim, Indonesia’s First Minister of Environment. This start up focuses to produce environmental-friendly product with aims to reducing plastic waste, reducing carbon emission and maintaining seashore cleanliness.
There are lots of things we can do to face plastic waste problem on earth, once again it’s all back to ourselves. Despite many people would say “this will not change anything” these kind of solutions needs to be endorse by people around the world, governments, companies and non-government organization. In the end, we live on earth, eat what nature has provided for us and enjoy what nature has shown us. It is time to keep the nature from danger and it is our duty as human being.
Source :
The Futures Centre | Evoware | Narasi TV
