Practicing Zero Waste Lifestyle in the New Normal

With 7.8 billion people currently thriving on earth, occupying space, consuming products and
accumulating various kinds of waste, the problem with disposing of waste products and their effect on
the terrestrial and marine ecosystem has become a global issue affecting many lives.

This month, the country is observing the “Zero Waste Month” by virtue of Presidential
Proclamation No. 760, which was signed by former President Benigno S. Aquino III on in May 2014 and is
pursuant to Republic Act 9003 or the “Ecological Solid Waste Management act of 2000.” The Zero Waste
Month celebration concurs with the 20th celebration of the “Ecological Solid Waste Management act
Act of 2000” which serves as an important reminder for all the people to be mindful of the waste they
create.

This advocacy by the government promotes the designing and managing of products and
processes to avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials. It also encourages
people to venture into resourceful lifestyle and to re-design discarded materials as resources for others
to use. During this time of pandemic, it is important to heighten the environmental awareness and
action among Filipinos and to develop ecological waste management policies and programs so that the
reduction of waste pollution would be achieved. This measure is necessary as one’s hygiene and
cleanliness, reflected in his surroundings, is very crucial in these unprecedented times. Securing one’s
health is very important nowadays as over 97 million coronavirus cases have been reported and over 2
million people have died of Covid-19 worldwide. Our health and immunity from diseases are tied with
the cleanliness of our environment and our current health practices.

We can support this action by encouraging one another to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle by
consuming responsibly and willfully segregating, reusing and, recycling discarded materials. There are
organizations and communities that initiate waste management and reduction campaigns, too, which
we can hold up to attain a more sustainable and low-waste year ahead. In these seemingly small ways of
ours, we are actually doing our part in helping our environment rejuvenate from all the pollution it was
exposed to and suffered from.