The Impact of Using Plastic

Every once in a while the government here passes out an order banning shop keepers from providing plastic bags to customers for carrying their purchases, with little lasting effect. Plastic bags are very popular with both retailers as well as consumers because they are cheap, strong, lightweight, functional, as well as a hygienic means of carrying food as well as other goods. Even though they are one of the modern conveniences that we seem to be unable to do without, they are responsible for causing pollution, killing wildlife, and using up the precious resources of the earth.

About a hundred billion plastic bags are used each year in the US alone. And then, when one considers the huge economies and populations of India, China, Europe, and other parts of the world, the numbers can be staggering. The problem is further exacerbated by the developed countries shipping off their plastic waste to developing countries like India.

Here are some of the harmful effects of plastic bags:               

Plastic bags litter the landscape. Once they are used, most plastic bags go into landfill, or rubbish tips. Each year more and more plastic bags are ending up littering the environment. Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into our waterways, parks, beaches, and streets. And, if they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes.

Plastic bags kill animals. About 100,000 animals such as dolphins, turtles whales, penguins are killed every year due to plastic bags. Many animals ingest plastic bags, mistaking them for food, and therefore die. And worse, the ingested plastic bag remains intact even after the death and decomposition of the animal. Thus, it lies around in the landscape where another victim may ingest it. 

Plastic bags are non-biodegradable. And one of the worst environmental effects of plastic bags is that they are non-biodegradable. The decomposition of plastic bags takes about 1000 years.

Petroleum is required to produce plastic bags. As it is, petroleum products are diminishing and getting more expensive by the day, since we have been using this non-renewable resource increasingly. Petroleum is vital for our modern way of life. It is necessary for our energy requirements – for our factories, transport, heating, lighting, and so on. Without viable alternative sources of energy yet on the horizon, if the supply of petroleum were to be turned off, it would lead to practically the whole world grinding to a halt. Surely, this precious resource should not be wasted on producing plastic bags, should it?

So, What Can be Done about the Use of Plastic Bags?

Single-use plastic bags have become such a ubiquitous way of life that it seems as if we simply cannot do without them. However, if we have the will, we can start reducing their use in small ways.

• A tote bag can make a good substitute for holding the shopping. You can keep the bag with the cahier, and then put your purchases into it instead of the usual plastic bag.
• Recycling the plastic bags you already have is another good idea. These can come into use for various purposes, like holding your garbage, instead of purchasing new ones.

While governments may be working out ways to lessen the impact of plastic bags on the environment, however, each of us should shoulder some of the responsibility for this problem, which ultimately harms us.

SMPN 1 Rencanakan Program Tato Pahat

Surabaya- Tanaman berkhasiat obat menjadi fokus program lingkungan hidup SMP Negeri 1. “Kita akan buat program Tato Pahat untuk membuat SMPN 1 Surabaya menujuEco School (sekolah ramah lingkungan),” kata Alya Thallafadhila Listyarini, ketua tim lingkungan yang sontak membuat 36 pengurus OSIS yang hadir bertanya satu dengan yang lain tentang Tato Pahat.

“Tato Pahat yang akan kita jalankan yaitu program tanaman toga paling sehat tiap kelas,” tambah Alya Thallafadhila, yang juga Puteri Lingkungan Hidup 2009. Tak ayal penjelasan yang disampaikan Alya membuat semua yang hadir tersenyum-senyum sendiri, karena awalnya mengira akan membuat tato atau rajah tubuh.

Hal itu yang terjadi pada saat pembinaan Surabaya Eco School di SMPN 1 Surabaya, Senin pagi (19/9). Dalam kegiatan yang diselenggarakan Tunas Hijau dan pemerintah kota Surabaya ini selalu di tiap sekolah bermunculan ide-ide kreatif untuk program lingkungan hidup berkelanjutan. Seperti yang terjadi dalam pembinaan kali ini. Antusiasme siswa juga selalu terlihat melalui banyaknya ide yang diusulkan.

Dengan panduan 5 siswa anggota tim lingkungan hidup, para pengurus OSIS diajak ikut memberikan usulan tentang program yang akan dilakukan.  Mulai dari toilet, taman, ruang kelas bahkan kantin tak luput dari perhatian mereka. Seperti yang dikatakan Ketua OSIS Sacharissa Zerlina Tsarwah Thirafi tentang perlunya pengawasan jentik nyamuk di kamar mandi. “Perlu diadakan piket khusus untuk membersihkan kamar mandi,” ungkap dia. Supaya efektif perlu dibentuk pula tim khusus yang mengawasi supaya piket tersebut tetap berjalan.

Ditambahkan pula oleh Syania Mega tentang pentingnya fungsi pengawasan dalam menjalankan program ini. “Kita bentuk saja polisi lingkungan yang tugasnya tidak hanya mengawasi toilet namun semua aktifitas lingkungan yang melibatkan peranan kelas seperti piket toilet, taman maupun kompos,” ujar Syania. Menurutnya hal ini akan bisa membantu terciptanya partisipatif aktif semua warga sekolah khususnya sswa dalam menjaga kebersihan sekolah.

Melalui kesempatan  ini juga diceritakan oleh Badrijah, guru pembina tim lingkungan tentang kurangnya partisipatif dari semua warga sekolah dalam kegiatan lingkungan hidup. “Makanya walau kami punya 2 green house serta beberapa komposter, semuanya belum bisa optimal,” kata Badrijah. Program Surabaya Eco School ini menurutnya memberikan angin segar dalam mengajak semua warga sekolah turut menjaga lingkungan hidup di SMPN 1. “Saya yakin melalui program ini akan menjadikan sekolah lebih lagi baik lagi dalam bidang lingkungan hidup,” ujarnya mantap.

Waste Reduction Method

The government on other countries now applying the garbage reduction method so their country is not full of waste. These are some of the government method to reduce the waste.

1. Boycott over-packaged products. Manufacturers are getting much better about this – they have realised they can save money this way. Refuse an item in a pointless plastic sleeve or an unnecessary box.
2. Turn your central heating down. Just one degree could save you almost £50, and with the price of fuel having almost doubled since 2005 it is much easier to think about lowering it even more.  Cold?  Put on a sweater.
3. Use both sides of a piece of paper. Now is the time to find out how to use the ‘print on both sides’ feature of the office photocopier.
4. Support Buy Nothing Day.  25th November 2006 is Buy Nothing Day.  Yup it’s a Saturday.  You’ll cope I promise.                                                                                            
5. Reuse sturdy envelopes.  If you get a strong envelope, jiffy bag or one of those cardboard book packages, save it and reuse it.  You can simple stick a piece of (scrap) paper over your address or use specially produced labels such as those from FOE or Natural Collection
6. Make friends with your local shoe repairer.  Your favourite shoes will last for years longer if you get them repaired regularly. Polishing your shoes is also a little unfashionable, but shoe polish protects leather from water damage as well as keeping them looking smart.
7. Fit a low energy light bulb. Yes they cost more to buy but you could save between £5 and £10 on electricity per year per bulb.
8. Don’t chuck out used printer ink cartridges.  Get them refilled at one of the many specialist shops springing up or buy your own refill kit, available from office supply shops.
9. Sorted out your wardrobe? Give items in good condition to a charity shop, jumble sale or sell them at a car boot or on eBay, but what about the items too tatty to wear again?  Cut them up for dusters, dish cloths or floor cloths.  They can actually work better than the sort which you use a couple of times then bin.
10. Use less water.  Have showers instead of bathing; don’t run the tap while cleaning your teeth or washing dishes, don’t run the dishwasher or washing machine until it is full.  If you are a gardener get a water butt to collect rainwater, and use a biodegradable detergent such as Ecover and divert ‘grey water’ from washing up and bathing to use on the garden.

Visit Indonesia 2011 Inspiring Indonesia... Truly Asia

3R IN GARBAGE PROCESSING

The garbage population at this present is on the dangerous level. Because, many people don't know how to process this " Garbage " into some useful things. There are many method we can use to process this "Garbage" into useful things but now we want to discuss about the 3R Method. Here are the explanation :
3R is the abbreviation of Recycle, Reduce, Reuse. Which each word have some meaning and what do you need to do it.
1. Recycle is the process of making the garbage into some useful things. For example, we can use the old and unused newspaper into a recycled paper. On this section, we need to be creative and confidence that YOU CAN DO IT.

2. Reduce means that we must not buy the things that we don't need it ( Tertiary Needs ) / buying a too much stuff that make your environment un healthy. On this section we need to be serious and firmness of our self to do it.
3. Reuse means that we use the " garbage " again if it is usable. Reuse also means we must not use the things only once ( some ) But... we must use it again and again until the things is unuseable.