Floating waste

A social media post about trash floating in the seas off Lapu-Lapu City recently surfaced over the weekend. The trash was not ordinary; it was hospital waste, the infectious ones. Yes, seriously, there were syringes, vials, blood samples, and all those icky stuff you see in laboratories. Well, don't judge me, please. I have never been a fan of the health industry. It was such an unpleasant sight seeing those kinds of stuff floating in the sea.

Thankfully, the local government unit was swift enough to collect the trash. Yesterday, I personally saw the different types of rubbish. I held my breath and couldn't believe how one person or entity could throw away such trash. I grew up to be a hygienic type of person and seeing those things in the sea really gave me the goosebumps (and also, maybe an upset stomach).

Are we really that stupid not to find the right place to throw trash? It is common sense not to throw into the sea, how much more waste that are infectious from the hospital. Back in pre-school, we were taught that the ocean is a vast world and that we must take care of it because there is life down below. Today, mankind has been too abusive of the free will it has and has forgotten its responsibility to the environment.

Every day we are given plastics as packaging for the most important things that we need - food, toiletries, etc. We have no choice but to throw them out once used, adding to the already pile of plastics that have not decomposed. Will they ever be decomposed in time for the generation to have a livable environment? I fear that there will come a time when the oxygen that our bodies need will be for sale just because we did not take care of the environment enough.

Sure, there are eco-warriors. I try to be one myself by reducing my own waste. But who am I and a few others compared to the multi-billion business of plastics and packaging? I know there is a revolution somewhere trying to address this issue but I fear that it might be too late. As for the medical waste disposed off Lapu-Lapu City, they are still trying to pin down the culprit and make him/her pay for what he/she has done to the environment.

I hope it will not take long, though. What if there would be too many legal battles to face and nobody will take the blame? The worst scenario is that the person who posted the picture might also be in hot water. Why do we even have to point fingers? It’s best if we put the welfare of the environment first. My only fear is what if it will all be too late?