Green wave is about to launch the Campaign on " SAY NO TO PLASTIC"

Thoddoo is one of the largest  populated island of the Maldives, the usage of plastic is rising day by the day,  Green wave  is preparing to launch a program on   decrease the usage of plastic bags in Thodddoo which is very harmful to our environment and sea creatures.

I had a look at some Shiny bags today to see if there was any information on what type of plastic they were made from.  The small size bag simply has “keep your city clean” printed on it. A nice sentiment, but let’s face it - not one that anyone is listening to. (Littering is a real problem in Thoddoo and there is no proper wastage management system yet;  The large bag I was interested to see has a logo for d2w and says “this bag is totally oxo-degradable”.  Where I come from oxo is a stock cube(!) so I was intrigued and did a little research.  At first glance I was encouraged –  a green(ish) looking website with talk of plastic degrading and being bio-assimilated “faster than straw or twigs”.  However, my eye was drawn to an initial statement saying “all plastic will in time fragment and completely biodegrade” which didn’t ring true to me.  I’m no expert by any means (just a lay-person with an interest in our planet!) but my whole understanding of the problem with plastic is that it doesn’t biodegrade? It photodegrades – breaking down into increasingly smaller toxic particles that pollute soil, waterways and oceans and are ingested by animals, thereby entering the food chain.  Either way, I’m concerned that d2w bags are not as green as they might claim to be.  It turns out that oxo-bio plastic is not designed to degrade in landfill.  Now I don’t know anything much about rubbish collection or disposal here in the  Maldives  but since most plastic bags probably end up as household waste, where does that waste go? Into landfill I imagine? Meaning the oxo-plastic wont degrade as intended.  If anybody knows anything different then please do enlighten me. I’d love to stand corrected!

I really do think the answer lies in recycling. To my knowledge though there are no recycling facilities at all here in Maldives or in  Thoddoo and only very limited recycling up in some of resorts of Maldives . Again, if anybody knows different please do share!

I read a statistic that says 6 million plastic bags are used every month in hypermarkets in in Male alone. then What about our Thoddoo? That number is truly staggering – and terrifying! Please take action!!

So what can we do?

• Say NO; THANK YOU or say " plastic beanumeyves   noonay"! ( awareness of   people)
• Use re-useable eco-bags for all your shopping (and re-use any plastic bags you still have)
• We Can talk to shop owners  to encourage the use of re-useable bags and support a charge on plastic.
• We can make ECO Friendly bags by collecting  old cloths from the  people to  make Eco bags and distribute to  Thoddoo Shop.
• We can Request to the Island council of Thoddoo, Ministry of Environment , agriculture and Fisheries  to encourage a ban on plastic bags.
• we can take a  statistic on usage of plastic bags in thoddoo by talking to the shop keepers or owners to know the serious of our condition.( it can be done by GREEN MEMBERS.)
• SPREAD THE WORD! Knowledge is power!
• SAY NO PLASTIC TO SAVE OUR NATURE .