Plastic, we need to talk!! 

“Nature never did betray the heart that loved her”- William Wordsworth. 

Recently, I watched a documentary with my mother on Netflix called Seaspiracy. I thought it would be about the lives of sea animals, like a wildlife documentary, but it was something much, much more. It was about plastic pollution. Now, being very honest, I never really cared that much about plastic pollution until I watched this documentary. Seaspiracy says that plastic pollution is hurting wildlife in the sea, and because I want to be a wildlife biologist when I grow up, it hurts. 

Now, the sad part:

We all know that plastic takes HUNDREDS of years (a century) to break down, which means that u could use a plastic bag now and it could stay there till the next generation comes. That is mind-blowing. Not only that, about 400 MILLION TONS of plastic are produced worldwide. Now you must be thinking, “Well, why should I care?” You should care because over 1 lakh marine animals are dying of plastic ingestion or entanglement. This causes them a slow, painful death, which matters to me because those creatures, whether they’re crabs or whales, should NOT suffer just because of us. Next time, using a plastic bag, I hope you remember that you most probably took a life. Don’t feel bad, though! It just caused the poor creature a painful death.  

We all love sea turtles, right? We love them because they are cute (try searching on Google, it’s worth it). Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, which is their favourite food, and they get stuck in their intestines, making them unable to… well, excrete, and they die. Also, (taken from Seaspiracy), fishing gear makes up a MAJOR part of ocean plastic pollution. But plastic doesn’t stop there! It affects land animals too!

Websites like FAO and Repurpose Global say that animals like Cows, deer, goats, dogs, and birds eat this, and they end up like the sea turtle. Speaking of cows, in India, people love to feed them, and there are Gau seva bins all over the place for people to put food in. Trucks come and take it away to feed the cows. I have noticed that people are putting food in plastic bags. REALLY SMART MOVE, PEOPLE. See, I understand that people worship cows, but if you are such a prominent devotee, at least make sure that the cow isn’t a victim of plastic poisoning. I really love all these animals (other than insects, they are scary…) and don’t want them to suffer. Having a dream of becoming a wildlife biologist, I wish to study these creatures hands-on in their natural habitat. Will they stay alive by then? That’s up to you. 

Now, what can we do to stop this monster?

  1. Refuse plastic bags, straws, and unnecessary packaging.

  2. Carry reusable bags, bottles, and containers.

  3. Buy products in glass, metal, or paper packaging whenever possible.

  4. Recycle correctly and avoid mixing waste.

  5. Choose wooden, metal, or bamboo items over plastic.

What my school can do:

1.  Set up separate bins for wet waste, dry waste, and recyclables.

2. Ban single-use plastics in the canteen (straws, plastic cups, packets).

3. Encourage lunch boxes instead of buying packaged snacks.

4. Start a “Plastic-Free Friday” or “Green Week” challenge.

5. Conduct workshops on reducing waste and protecting wildlife.

Now I’m just a twelve-year-old, not a superhero. If preventing plastic use is saving even one animal, that’s enough for me. I really love these animals and don’t want to be part of their pain. Now a quote from my idol, Steve Irwin –  “ If we save our wildlife, we save ourselves.”