THE environment is under the spotlight this week, in particular the importance of its preservation in the wake of the human footprint of pollution.

Various organisations will participate in events such as clean-ups and other educational programmes as part of Environment Week (June 1-8), with World Environment Day observed on Thursday, June 5.

This year’s focal point for World Environment Day is bringing plastic pollution to an end across the globe.

The Highway Mail spoke to local conservancies about the awareness they could bring to readers about plastic pollution’s prevalence in local communities and what the community could do to actively participate in its reduction.

Luci Coelho of Hillcrest Conservancy challenged the public to take note of how much plastic they use in their homes, how they can reduce this and reuse, recycle and up-cycle plastic.

“Encourage your family to separate waste at home; it is easier than you think. All you need to do is have a couple of bins, or bags, one for paper, one for plastic, one for glass, one for tins, one bin for organic waste, and one that just has to go to the landfill. You can then start a small compost bin for the organics, and organise for the rest to be recycled. There are companies that will collect your recyclables, for example Big Start, which can be reached on 082 431 9945, in Pinetown, or Eric, who can be reached on 079 552 4707, in the Hillcrest area. Keep Hillcrest Beautiful has a drop-off centre near the library for paper and glass. Or you can use the municipal orange bag collection system,” said Coelho.

In terms of reusing, Coelho’s advice is that shoppers should use their own bags when shopping, use personal cups when going out for take-away coffee, and use their own non-plastic water bottles.

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“Buy your groceries without packaging – support your local veg shop or veg vendor. There is no need to put your tomatoes into a packet at the shop – put them straight into your cloth shopping bag, or make your own reusable little veggie bags. Re-use glass jam jars instead of Tupperware-type containers for leftovers in the fridge. Give each child in the house their own tin mug instead of using plastic cups. Challenge your classmates or your friends to a boycott plastic competition,” said Coelho.

She further encouraged readers to research the dangers of plastic, how it is made from fossil fuels, how long it takes to degrade, the health hazards of micro plastics for their bodies and how our landfills are too full.

Westville Conservancy’s Sue Smith said plastic pollution is a major environmental problem which could result in harmful chemicals and toxins polluting the soil and water sources, which can affect humans and animals.

“Plastic can remain in the environment for hundreds of years and never actually goes away but breaks down into tiny pieces called microplastics. Microplastics are often mistaken as food by animals and once eaten may block their digestive systems, often leading to death,” said Smith.

The Westville Conservancy has picked up “hundreds of bags of plastics” throughout the years of its work along the M13 and in parks in its locale, said Smith.

“Plastics which people have carelessly tossed out of car windows or just discarded in our parks,” she said.

Smith’s suggestion to addressing plastic pollution is to reduce the amount of single use plastic that we consume, such as using a reusable shopping bag rather than buying a disposable one at the supermarket.

“Plastic packaging can often be reused, for example use an empty bread packet for lunchtime sandwiches rather than buying zip-lock bags. Recycling plastic is the next step as many plastics can be reprocessed into other products. But the easiest thing to do is to take your plastic home with you and place in your own black bag, rather than throwing away into the environment, leaving it for someone else to pick up,” said Smith.

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