My first victory this year with Greenpeace Africa is creating awareness about plastic pollution and calling for action or an end to plastic pollution. Volunteers had to find a plastic polluted area in their community, and my chosen area is Umhlanga Beach.
Before I had entered my designated spot to shoot my video, I had seen two people cleaning the area, and it looked relatively clean. I thought it would be hard to find a polluted spot. I then decided to take the walkway to the beach, and guess what? I found plastic pollution in a water source near the ocean, and I was shocked. This is the message I had shared in my short video.
Plastic pollution needs to be taken more seriously because it is entering our oceans, affecting sea life, which is then consumed by humans and affects us. Hence, we need to end plastic pollution, save our sea life and limit the toxins entering our seafood. Birds are also eating plastic and are dying. We need to save them.
Also, be creative with your plastic: reduce, reuse and recycle. You can use tires or plastic bottles to create something new. For instance, you can use tires and plastic bottles to plant seedlings, or use plastic bottles to store your items and just decorate the bottle to your liking. These are just a few ideas, there are loads more. Be creative!
Plastic pollution is an important issue to me. It harms animals and sea life and brings in toxins in our seafood, affecting human health. The sad part is that animals or birds cannot distinguish between pollution and food. Because of this, they end up eating pollution which is accumulated everywhere in our ocean. Humans, however, can distinguish between pollution and food, so why are we not taking action and picking up our litter?
Hence, I stand with Greenpeace Africa, to take action and call to end plastic pollution now.