Some of you may be thinking that plastic is convenient to use, but is it convenient to kill the planet? As time goes by, more and more plastic is being thrown into landfills, burned, and dumped into the ocean.
Plastic is what is shaping our future.
I am an animal lover. I love water. I love swimming. In some places, marine creatures cannot live in their natural habitats because they are overrun by waste and plastics.
Consider what happens when plastic is incinerated: the combustion releases pollutants such as microplastics. They seem to be everywhere: on land, in the air and in the sea. Microplastics are in bottled water. Consider our health.
I have started to give importance to plastic in my life, either by using it less or reusing it. It may seem like I am too young to be concerned about this issue. I mean, I am only 13! But the Earth will soon be in the hands of my generation. I need to care about the environment now instead of waiting until I am older. Previous generations waited too long.
Instead of using plastic water bottles, I use reusable thermoses, or if I use a plastic water bottle, I can reuse it. Instead of using plastic grocery bags, I carry old or reusable bags or use paper bags. I use these when I do art. I cut them up and use them for projects.
I also buy second hand.
Although it may seem more convenient to buy new things, shopping at thrift stores is a fun experience because you can find unique clothes and you're not buying new things that may have been brought from abroad in plastic bags. I like buying t-shirts and pants at thrift stores, and even hats (just wash them before wearing them).
If you has to Buy new clothes, try to buy them from environmentally friendly brands. See if they are made from recycled materials. How did they get here? How much do people charge?
One of my favorite music artists, Billie Eilish, is eco-friendly. The website of the Billie Eilish Store She says that “all the clothes sold use leftover dead material from previous productions, polyester or organic or recycled cotton.” Her posters are made from 100% recycled paper.
That's something I really appreciate. At least one person is trying to cut that out. I want to follow in their footsteps.
Sophia Perez, an eighth-grader in the Los Angeles Unified School District, loves shopping secondhand, reducing plastic use, and most of all, Billie Eilish.
