#WATWB Eliminate plastic waste to clean up the environment

#WATWB Eliminating plastic waste and cleaning up the environment

70 Replies

On the last Friday of each month We Are the World Blogfest invites bloggers to join together in promoting positive news. If you would like to join in, please check out the rules and links below.

“There are many an oasis of love and light out there, stories that show compassion and the resilience of the human spirit. Sharing these stories increases our awareness of hope in our increasingly dark world.”

It seems the world is finally taking note of the damage we are doing to our environment with plastic pollution. Governments, communities and individuals all over the world are taking steps to reduce and clean up the waste that is already causing havoc to our Earth and its inhabitants.

This month with World Turtle Day just gone, and World Environment Day coming up on 5 June, there is no shortage of stories to share. I settled on this one about fishermen in Kerala (situated along India’s southern coast) who, for the past ten months, have been Fishing for plastic from the sea.

So far 25 tonnes of plastic rubbish have been removed from the sea. Most of the plastic is recycled into making roads. I think that’s a mighty fine effort in helping to make our environment clean by beating plastic waste.

Click to read the whole article: Fishing for plastic from the sea.

Here are the guidelines for #WATWB:

1. Keep your post to Below 500 words, as much as possible.

2. Link to a human news story on your blog, one that shows love, humanity, and brotherhood. Paste in an excerpt and tell us why it touched you. The Link is important, because it actually makes us look through news to find the positive ones to post.

3. No story is too big or small, as long as it Goes Beyond religion and politics, into the core of humanity.

4. Place the WE ARE THE WORLD badge or banner on your Post and your Sidebar. Some of you have already done so, this is just a gentle reminder for the others.

  1. Help us spread the word on social media. Feel free to tweet, share using the #WATWB hashtag to help us trend!

Tweets, Facebook shares, Pins, Instagram, G+ shares using the #WATWB hashtag through the month most welcome. We’ll try and follow and share all those who post on the #WATWB hashtag, and we encourage you to do the same.

The co-hosts for this month are:  :  Shilpa Garg, Inderpreet Kaur Uppal, Peter Nena, Andrea Michaels, Damyanti Biswas.

Please pop over to their blogs to read their stories, comment and share.

Click here to join in and enter the link to your post. The bigger the #WATWB group each month, the greater the joy!

Thank you blog post

Thank you for reading. I appreciate your comments. Please share your thoughts.

 

70 thoughts on “#WATWB Eliminating plastic waste and cleaning up the environment”

            1. Norah Post author

              I love Ballina. I used to like going to the Macadamia Castle, but last time they’d moved it off the highway. 🙂 Well, they moved the highway. It can’t have been very good for the Castle’s business.

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                1. Norah Post author

                  And I’m about right in the middle of your current and previous locations. 🙂 Did you meet Irene Waters who lives at the Sunshine Coast. (Irene writes the memoir posts at the Ranch.)

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                    3. Norah Post author

                      Did you enjoy the castle? They used to do a roast vegetable on Turkish bread which was absolutely delicious. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. I don’t think we’ll be down that way for a while, but I’ll certainly let you know when we are. 🙂 Or you tell me if you’re up this way.

                      Liked by 1 person

  4. Tina Frisco

    I feel such hope when reading articles like this. I found a video on Facebook today about a waterwheel invention that retrieves thousands of pounds of trash from Baltimore Harbor. The trash is then incinerated, generating power for homes throughout Maryland. Hope reigns! Great post, Norah ❤

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    1. Norah Post author

      I think I saw that video too, Tina, or one similar. It is great that we are now putting these plastics to better use. Now we just need to find ways to eliminate, or at least drastically reduce, their manufacture to begin with.

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  5. Sarah Brentyn

    Near and dear… This gets me. Our beautiful planet needs help (and for us to stop hurting it). 🌍💙💚 A creative and useful way to reuse this plastic! Thanks for sharing the Good. We need more Good.

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    1. Norah Post author

      We do need more good, Sarah. Thank you for reading and commenting. Sadly, I think we still need to reduce more and not become complacent with recycling which surely must just delay the inevitable.

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      1. Sarah Brentyn

        I completely agree. Even those who recycle (and I don’t think it’s as high a percentage as we’d like to think) need to reduce more so there is less to recycle. We’re working on that. We have generally more recycling than trash each week but we’re still trying to switch away from products that we need to recycle, if that makes sense.

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        1. Norah Post author

          That does make sense, Sarah. We have far more in our recycle bin too, but it makes me cry when I see all the plastic packaging. While we put it out for recycling, I’m not sure how much of it is. And it still ends up somewhere in the long run. How could this all have occurred in so few years. There was little plastic of anything when I was a child.

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          1. Sarah Brentyn

            It’s a huge cycle of crap. If the companies stop producing it, we can’t buy it. But they won’t. Unless we stop buying it…then they’ll stop producing it. Money. Perhaps education really is the best preventative here seeing as how it’s so difficult to change people’s minds/convince them of things. If kids are taught about this early, they will be less likely to trash the planet. My fear is that it’s too late and we’ve really messed the planet up for the next generation so they won’t be caring for it as much as fixing it. 😦

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            1. Norah Post author

              Wonderful comment, Sarah. I think education is the solution to a lot of our problems. Sadly, some of those in charge of what children learn are either not well informed or have their own agendas. I think you’re right, though. There’s a lot of work to be done.

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    1. Norah Post author

      Wow! I wouldn’t have thought of duvets and pillows made of recycled plastic. That’s awesome. I wonder what happens to them when they are no longer useful, though. Are we just delaying the inevitable. We really need to reduce.

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  7. Charli Mills

    We all need to follow Kerala’s example. Wha a creative use for the plastic. I’m glad you joined your post to a good cause and developed worthwhile teaching tools over at readilearn, too!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Norah Post author

      Isn’t it a wonderful use for the plastic?! I think I’ve seen something similar before. We need more “tricks” like this for getting rid of it and more for reducing its manufacture in the first place

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  9. Christy B

    This subject is a great feature for your blog post, Norah. I worry about the amount of sea life being harmed by plastics. I was talking with my family last night about the damage done by plastic straws. Hugs

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Norah Post author

      It is pleasing to see steps being taken to eliminate straws, Christy. I saw a reusable telescopic straw that can be used as a key ring. I think it’s a fabulous idea. I’d like one. 🙂

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  10. Patricia Tilton

    Loved the post. What a great effort being made to rid the world of plastics. It begins with each one of us. Never thought about the helium balloon launch — saw one on TV in our local community today. We need to stop, look and take action!

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Norah Post author

      I agree with your words, Patricia: We need to stop, look and take action! I think action is the most important part. Thank you for reading and commenting.

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. Norah Post author

      It does, Jen. What an impact it would make if we all pulled together in the effort to clean up after ourselves. Thanks for reading and commenting.

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  12. roughwighting

    I’m hoping we’re coming to a ‘sea change’ in that more of the world’s people are understanding what we’re doing to the environment, and how important it is to heal it. Love the story about Kerala. xo

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Norah Post author

      I hope so too, Pam. I’m still surprised at how many (especially younger) people are still using one-use plastic bags for their grocery shopping. I don’t get it. We oldies seem to have switched over early. Perhaps it’s because we grew up with it as kids, using string bags and cardboard boxes. I don’t know.

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      1. roughwighting

        Depends on where we live geographically, also. In CA where I once lived, plastic bags are gone, entirely. But in New England, where I live now, half the stores only use paper, but half still use plastic. A slow sea change, but you can’t stop the tide!

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  13. Miriam Hurdle

    Thank you for your post and video, Norah. We watch the nature videos every night and watched how the fish or mammal get stuck by the plastic. Even our local pond, the ducks got the wings or feet got hurt, being caught by the fishing lines. I don’t buy helium balloons anymore.

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    1. Norah Post author

      Thank you for reading and commenting, Miriam. I think the worst thing about helium balloons is when they are released. Who knows where they end up and what wildlife they kill. A beautiful spectacle, maybe, but murderous too.

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      1. Miriam Hurdle

        Yes, Norah, that’s exactly the great concern about helium balloons. Kids and adults are saying oohs and aah s watching the balloons floating in the air without thinking what happen the balloons deflated. The more I watch the nature videos, the more things I boycott, such as shark fin soup. bird nest soup, ivory products and real leather products. Thank you for the post.

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        1. Norah Post author

          I think we all need to be mindful of our actions and the effects they have on the environment. I know I still have a long way to go, but I hope I am moving in the right direction using reusable bags for my groceries and fruit and vegetable purchases. I also refer to an ethical shopping guide and sustainable seafood guide for my purchases and follow their recommendations when available. Sadly, they are not always available.

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          1. Miriam Hurdle

            My daughter lives in Portland, Oregon. They have biodegradable plastic blags for food scraps. They also have detail recycling and trash guidelines. We put all the recyclables in one bin and all the trash in another bin and one green bin for grass and tree trimming.
            We went for a walk by our local lake yesterday. I saw two mallard ducks swimming with one leg and tug the other leg under the wings looked as if they were injured. Then along the lake, we found one fishing line, my husband picked it up, and pull a long strand out of the water. We walked further, and saw many broken lines hanging on the bushes by the water.
            I’m going to call the City Counsel on Monday to see if they can do something to educate the people and kids who do fishing in that lake.

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            1. Norah Post author

              Yay for you Miriam. I hope the Council responds well to your call and even moves to clean up the mess already there. It was good that you and your hub started it off. We do all need to take more action. Sounds like good things are happening in Portland. Thanks for sharing your good news.

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              1. Miriam Hurdle

                Yes, Norah, Portland is environmental friendly. A lot of people riding bikes. Bike lane is half of the size of a regular car lane Whereas in southern California, bike lane is just a skinny lane. My daughter’s friend (actually more of my son-in-law’s friend, they are engineers) rides the bike 8 miles each way to work for almost 9 years. I heard that several years ago, the congressman went to Washington DC for meetings. He rode the bike to meetings! I know it doesn’t reduce too many cars on the road. I’ll remember to call on Tuesday. Monday is a holiday here.

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                1. Norah Post author

                  We need more places to do what Portland is doing, and more people to take the initiative of your daughter’s friend. Then our world would be a happy place. 🙂

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                  1. Miriam Hurdle

                    That’s true. Bikers have the right of way more than drivers in Netherlands . We were amazed to see the huge parking structures for bikes. My son-in-law also rides his bike to work. The company has lockers and shower for employees to freshen up for work.😄

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                    1. Norah Post author

                      It is good that some companies provide showers and lockers for employees who ride to work. My daughter also rides to work. Our offspring are doing their bit for the planet. 🙂

                      Liked by 1 person

                    2. Miriam Hurdle

                      I’m glad to hear that your daughter rides to work. I saw the ladies in Amsterdam riding the bikes in their suits but wear tennis shoes, carrying a backpack. I imagine that they change shoes when they get to work. 🙂

                      Liked by 1 person

  15. Susan Scott

    Great post Norah thank you. I watched the little video – amazing that the roads in Kerala are made out of the plastic collected from the sea! It seems we’re waking up at last to the menace of plastic. I guess also the menace of people also who discard their garbage in a thoroughly thoughtless way.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. Norah Post author

      I’m so pleased you enjoyed the post, Susan – on the same theme as yours. I hope we have woken up and all pull together to rid the world of this monster that we only so recently created.

      Liked by 1 person

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