No plastic Wednesdays and Saturdays

As we were eating our usual Monday breakfast in a food joint in Lapu-Lapu city, there so much buzz with the cashier as she explained to the customers that they wouldn't be taking in take-out orders. They had a condition to customers, to make sure that they had their own container or they will be obliged to buy reusable plastics that they are offering in their store. The city of Lapu-Lapu will be implementing plastic free days on Wednesdays and on Saturdays.

The ordinance was just recently signed by the mayor but the span of time to prepare for it seems to be small. Either way, it is the city's initiative to make sure that they are doing their part in helping the environment. It is their commitment to make the heaps of trash less of unusable plastics when it comes to their materials recycling facility. The question is will it be effective enough?

Well, it may be small, baby steps in the move to join the revolution in changing the culture of our environment. They say we must take one step at a time although sometimes I feel like we are already too late. What the local government of Lapu-Lapu should consider is the sustainability. How could they make sure that the establishments up to the smallest sari-sari store would not use single-use plastics? If there are only 20 or so personnel from the environment and natural resources office of the city, then I don't think it would be enough to police those who would not follow the new ordinance.

The challenge now is for other cities and municipalities to do the same. We can't be all hypocrites trying to make it look good to others. If we want to make our words true that we care for the environment, then we must all do the same. It will take a lot of courage and will be subject to many questions, yes, but it will all be worth it in the end.

We are now facing a crisis in the environment because of how we crave so much for convenience. I hope that one day we will set aside convenience and look forward into what matters more. If we want to have a place that is livable then we will go the distance for our environment to be at its peak, to be of good health. Who else will take care of Mother Earth than us? It is such a shame that we can't look after her despite her giving us all the natural resources.

It will be exciting how the next Wednesday and Saturday of Lapu-Lapu city will go. I know there will be a lot of resistance and those who want to hide their single-use plastics by putting them inside paper bags. A lot of issues will crop up and the local government will also be at the forefront to answer all these questions. I only hope that as the ordinance take effect, there will be people who will understand why we are doing this so.