The pandemic has impacted lives in ways that we are yet to decipher. With losing lives and crashing Economies, the single-use surgical masks and gloves used are causing more harm than good.
While on one hand, we appreciate the positive impact on the environment, with nature reviving itself as humans stay locked in. On the other hand, we are creating a massive mess of plastic masks by using them and discarding them in millions on an everyday basis.
These disposable gloves and masks dig a hole in your pocket, with the cost of being continuously replaced. In addition to that, they also impact life as they end up being part of landfills or being dumped into the ocean along with other single-use plastic products.
Looking onto this dreadful journey of the single-use surgical masks and gloves, Plogman of India – Ripu Daman Bevli, has launched a pledge titled – #PlasticUpvaas. (https://www.change.org/PlasticUpvaas)
Ripu Daman Bevli, began his plastic upvaas with shunning single-use plastic from his life altogether, in addition to that, he organized multiple cleanup campaigns. “When you make a man pick up someone else’s litter, he will think twice before littering again,” He says. He has also organized a cleanup campaign across 50 cities in the country in 50 days.
He has now taken another step in pursuit of his upvaas by filing a petition in change.org to bring the change during this pandemic maintaining all the norms terms and conditions of the pandemic & it’s associated lockdown.
“Single-use has taken over our lives and ruined the planet. There is no place where it can be disposed of properly and ends up in landfills or the water bodies and oceans. Seeping into the groundwater from landfills, or destroying the marine ecosystem, it enters the food chain and comes back to impact our health. The need to fight is extremely urgent! And it’s not just single-use plastic, but single-use anything which creates waste is harmful for us and the environment. But since it’s omnipresent, the question arises, how can we overcome this problem?” reads the petition.
“#PlasticUpvaas is a people’s movement to start with shunning just one single-use item from our lives. It could be single-use plastic bottles, polythene bags, straws, tissue papers, or anything similar. In today’s world, I am saying shun surgical masks and switch to reusable cloth masks,” Says Bevli.
By 2050, there will be more plastic by weight in the oceans than fishes. Also, by 2050, the manufacturing of plastic will add up to 15% of all greenhouse gases. These were the statistics in a Pre-Corona World. The post-Corona world has seen a considerable spurt in plastic and single-use consumption.
The problems are too many, but should we continue to blame the authorities and not do something on our end? No matter how small it is, every drop of make the mighty ocean. #PlasticUpvaas is going to be your contribution to Mother Earth and a Litter Free world. Imagine if 7.5 billion (1.35 billion people in India) people take this up!
So, what’s your #PlasticUpvaas?”
It is difficult to stop using plastic all at once, but, consider the upvaas or fasting we all do regularly – we just fast and make ourselves so rigid with devotion or something else that little things like food don’t break our determination.
The plastic upvaas is similar to that; all you need is a strong determination. Start this will power building by shunning the plastic masks and using the cloth mask, which is washable and reusable.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed up using Gamcha (basic cotton towel) during his virtual presence during the pandemic. We all should follow the example set by him because this time, it is not about supporting a party; it is about the environment and nature.
PlasticUpvaas is not asking you to stop living or enjoying life; it asks you to increase the use of degradable materials and avoid using plastics as much as possible. If you look around yourselves, there are hundreds of things you are using that are made of plastic; think what a significant change you will bring by shunning at least 50% of them.
Take a moment to introspect the implication of shunning plastic in your life on the environment. Little steps matter. Sign the petition and take up #plasticupvaas
You can sign the petition here https://www.change.org/PlasticUpvaas and can tag us at Instagram (@newsaurchai – https://instagram.com/newsaurchai) and Ripu Daman Bevli (@Ripudamanbevli –https://instagram.com/plogmanofindia) via telling what plastic upvaas you have taken after signing the petition.
