To the Editor:
I read your article about two Bennington students who came up with an extraordinary way of fighting the plastic pollution. Social entrepreneurship is definitely a way to go if we want to solve the world's most pressing issues by using innovative means. The article inspired me to research about this topic and try to find out what each and every one of us can do in order to combat plastic pollution.
Maybe not all of us can be the CEOs of environmental companies, but there must be little things that every single person could do in order to stop pollution. That's why I would like to share with your readers five quick and easy tips on how they can reduce plastic waste:
- We should shift to reuse/refill economy. For instance, it is so easy to bring a reusable coffee cup or dine-in at your local caf . Choose to refuse single-use takeaway cups!
- Say NO to the straw! Unless you have a physical disability that requires you to use straws.
- Make a habit of bringing your own bag to the stores.
- Switch to alternatives sanitary items (tampons and pads) for a plastic-free period.
- Switch to bulk food shopping: avoiding pre-packaged foods by choosing bulk or loose food.
Also, during my online research I found a very interesting initiative, which could benefit Bennington if we all agree to implement it in our town. We can organize a one-month challenge, when everyone in Bennington will commit to reduce their consumption of plastics. This was done by "Plastic Free July" movement, who have set up a website and were asking people to do this only for a month. For one month, participants were asked to join over 2 million people in 159 countries in reducing their plastic consumption. I think it is a great idea and can definitely be implemented in Bennington or even in Vermont state!
We should also always remember and share the frightening statistics about plastic pollution, like the one that there are 500 times more pieces of microplastic in the sea than there are stars in our galaxy. I hope examples like this will inspire your readers to initiate the plastic-free month challenge, or at least follow the five tips I wrote about.
Lika Torikashvili,
Bennington
