Our mother nature is crying for help. Taking care of the environment is one of our obligations as human beings that we take for granted. Let’s face it; sometimes it is hard for us to throw a single piece of candy wrapper in proper place. Needless to say, the amount of waste generated by our daily activity is rising in a very disturbing manner. In the Philippines alone, based on Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, the National Capital Region generates about 6, 700 tons of waste every day but only around 10% are being recycled. The remaining 90% ends up in the dump sites, streets and eventually to our sewerage system, rivers and different bodies of waters and thus contribute to flooding. Do the math, if this continues for the next years, there would not be enough landfills for our accumulated waste and soon, we will be standing on it.
Our environment had already suffered enough our flora and fauna have been threatened with extinction because of pollution cause by our waste. Let us not wait for the time that our flora and fauna extinct because of our wastes generation.
I am fully aware of the fast rise of waste generation; in fact, in my basic culinary arts class. My students generate a lot of waste primarily plastic. These plastic came from their purchases of ingredients, mostly coming from the wet market and super market. These aren’t biodegradable and plastic bags end up as litter that fouls the environment.
I already discussed to them the importance of waste hierarchy: reuse, reduce and recycle. However, it hasn’t change much the generation of plastic waste and so I need to make a move to address this problem.
I gave them an inexpensive, durable and compact reusable market bag to spread the environmental message: reuse, reduce and recycle to a world ready for a brighter ecological future.

The message is very clear.
Reuse means using the materials repeatedly.
Reduce means to buy less and use less to lower the amount of waste produce.
Recycle means discarded materials are then used and converted into new products.
Let us not overlook the importance of these waste options and I hope that in my own little way, I inspire my students to care for the environment.