Crystal Princess B.

Narciso

1A1

Waste Management

Solid wastes are the items, and materials that are no longer deemed useful by the user and hence
thrown away. It does not only pertain to plastics, but also to the food wastes and electronic wastes.
With the growing population in the Philippines, it has its cost. The amount of solid wastes
generated by humans are unending and continually increasing, especially now that every product
off the counter comes with its own packaging which are commonly, single use plastics. An
example would be in Marikina, where households contributes seventeen percent of the solid waste
they collect and more from factories which require the use of non biodegradable materials to cover
and protect their products.

According to the video, the greatest contributors of solid wastes are the low income population
since they usually buy inexpensive products that always comes in sachets like junk food and milk
sachets. However, Marikina has enforced ordinances related to the disposal of waste to manage
the problem. One of which is the need to acquire permission from the officers to dispose
styrofoams. Everyone around the globe should also implement such laws and strictly forbid
improper waste disposals. From individuals to households and even to businesses, each and
everyone must make it a habit to lessen and clean our garbage. Moreover with the current
technological advancement, there are many new ways to recycle and reuse these wastes. Some can
be turned into a fertilizer and bricks while electronic wastes such as wires can be reused by the
companies producing them. These actions make the community more sustainable.

Another problem is improper waste disposal. Wastes like styrofoams and plastics thrown to
walkways and rivers causes the drainage to be blocked. In turn, clogged drainages help worsen the
damages caused by natural calamities because the areas will naturally have floods. Garbage thrown
to the sides and waterways is also the reason for land pollution and water pollution. Since the
wastes are mostly plastic, they are harder to decompose. They usually take about 1000 years to
decompose. There are various instances wherein floating garbage in the oceans are mistaken as
food by the fishes. These animals then die because of the trash accumulated in their stomachs.
Hence, businesses should find alternatives for the plastics they use in order to lessen wastes that
needs to be thrown regularly.

Small steps can be done by everyone to make a significant change in the environment. For
example, although straws and disposable utensils are smaller compared to other plastic packages,
if we all stop using them, it will make such huge differences in the amount of waste and the amount
of raw materials taken from the environment to make them. If this cannot be done, we can also
simply contribute by segregating our wastes. Through this, it is easier to separate them to their
own machines which turns them into something useful again like used oil which can be filtered
and used for other purposes. If we want to give a better future to our families, we must be
responsible in our actions and help the environment recover from the damages caused by humans.