Extremely underrated for me ang negative effects of using plastics. Especially the way a country like us don't have the right management of waste.
In a way, nagiging green washing na rin yung sinasabing recyclable, meron pa ngang biodegradable plastic. Even if recyclable, they will still generate fumes that is an air pollutant and bad for those working in recycling plants.
Also, alam niyo ba na they say plastic would degrade in 20-500 years. But that's not true because doon sa landfills pala, they pack the garbage so tight so that the waste will not biodegrade, so that the landfill will not erode and collapse. So even paper, when they are in a managed landfill, they will not decompose for thousands of years because landfills are designed that way. So scientists dug up old landfills, and they saw old newspapers which are good as new.
The negative effect of plastic waste has been intentionally downplayed by everyone, especially businesses because plastics are cheap. But tell me how it make sense. You eat something for 5 minutes, and the plastic used for that will last way past your lifetime and generations upon generations to come. How is that reasonable? The use of plastic is one of the main evil things that has been normalized. The sad thing about it is, we have means to reduce plastic use, but we prioritize convenience instead of doing the right thing. After all, once you throw it in the trash can, then it doesn't exist anymore, right? Out of sight, out of mind.
And that freedom you complain about that you lost in prohibiting you from using plastic bottles, it is not lost. You are just trading it for another form of freedom, which is freedom from plastic waste. You may not directly benefit from it now, but I can assure you that thousand of thousands of people will benefit from it, in so many generations. Without a plastic waste,we allot real-estate space for better use, we reduce the transportation of plastic, reduce sippage and water pollution, we reduce air pollution, and so much more.
I say, give it a chance. The case may be that the school doesn't have the means to manage waste but for me plastic waste reduction is a good solution. What you just have to do is to adopt a certain behavior to fit a plastic waste-free lifestyle. Budget for buying bottled water be alloted for a light-weight tumbler. Instead of buying 10 bottled water, allot the budget for buying tumbler. Carrying a tumbler is just something that you have to do. And you know, the life of a student is routinary, you will be doing things over and over, so it is easy to develop a habit. If you're still at school from 6-8PM, refill your tumbler before 6PM.
Moreover, mindset is also a factor. You feel that you are being deprived of your freedom because it's a school policy. Pero actually, there was a time when I travelled for months, and I am happy kung yung hostel ko is may water refill. Kasi duon ako nakakatipid kung nagre-refill ako instead of buying bottled water which is expensive. At ang laki ng difference kasi 60-150 pesos natitipid ko per day pag nagrerefill ako ng tubig per day while doing long walks. So, to me, it is not a deprivation but rather a good option. We see it differently.
Finally, and most important thing, papaluin kita sa pwet this time, pero oks lang yan kasi bata ka pa. Masakit tong sasabihin ko, but I see myself in you. I have an impression of you right away, that you are not an effective person. Why? Because ang dami mong excuses, pero common naman ito sa Pinoy.
But resorting to excuses makes you an ineffective person. For example, kung na-late sa meeting, ano sasabihing excuse? Na-traffic, may family problem, may ginawa na hindi natapos agad, nagkasakit bigla... etc etc... Wala doon ang valid sa pagiging late. That's why kung na-late, mag-sorry and then do better next time.
I have to delve in this some more to explain it. Bakit hindi valid ang trapik? Kasi nandiyan na yan eh, given na yan. To be an effective person, dapat gumising at nagprepare ng maaga para kahit may tapik, makakarating pa rin on time. If you make it as an excuse, you are attributing an outcome to some factor that you cannot change or control.
Sa statement mo, and daming excuses, kesyo walang pera, walang refill sa gabi, walang mabilhan, mabigat ang bag... kung mabigat ang bag mo, magpaxerox ka instead of buying a book, bring one refillable notebook for all subjects... ang daming solution. Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw may dahilan. Excuses make an ineffective person and it will not get you anywhere. May excuse ka for today, pero in the end, walang nangyari. As for me, wala na akong friend na late-comer, and that's something to be thankful for in the Philippines. Hehe.
TLDR: Reducing plastics have long-lasting benefits. I encourage you to do your best in adopting a plastic waste-free lifestyle.
