Use Waste Bins, Not the Ocean
Meet our green bins that are ready to take up the fight against littering and plastic pollution!
IDEAS donated eight bins to the Kelaa island council who will take charge of managing them. Some of the bins have already been installed at the football grounds and volley courts, while the others will be set up near the beach area. Our goal is to keep our beautiful island of Kelaa and its beach clean and pristine and to create awareness about plastic pollution.
Today, it is all too common to see energy drink cans and water bottles littering our roads and public areas such as the volleyball courts, football grounds and beach areas especially after a big event. From their positions on our streets, it is not a far cry to end up in the ocean. In fact, the ocean may seem so vast, you may think that throwing that XL energy drink or that water bottle into the sea may not make a difference.
So Why is This an Issue?
Plastic is the number one source of pollution in our oceans.
Plastic and aluminum cans take longer than many other materials to break down.
Plastic never biodegrades. Over many hundreds of years they may break down to tiny particles that will still exist in the oceans, getting ingested by small fish, which are eaten by the big fish, which are ultimately eaten by us. In this way (and in many more ways than this), polluting makes us the agents of our own demise!
Sea animals mistake plastic for food and when ‘eaten’ can cause suffocation and other fatal problems. This will harm the health of our marine life in general.
A piece of plastic you throw in the ocean near Kelaa can end up killing more than one marine animal in places close to and far from Kelaa!
Ok, so what? How does it affect us in Kelaa?
The main thing going for us as Maldivians is tourism – especially for a small island community like us with a beautiful beach and amazing reef, a future of thriving guesthouse tourism is not a far off dream. What we don’t realize is how blessed we are to have access to beaches as pristine, lagoons as clear, and reefs as bursting with life. Maintaining it requires us to live in harmony with it and protecting it from harm.
Ok I see your point. What can I do?
Use our bins and keep plastic trash away from our beach and oceans!
Reduce one-time use plastics like disposable cups, plates, plastic wrap, etc.
Stop buying water! Harvest rainwater and use filters where possible.
Buy in bulk! If you MUST buy bottled water, always buy the biggest size you can find so you get more water for less plastic. The same goes for other food and daily use items – even things like shampoo!
Use reusable bags. IDEAS recently facilitated the donation of 2000 reusable bags from Dhiraagu for the people of Kelaa.
Buy secondhand items! Buying used items in good condition will ensure that the packaging associated with new items is eliminated, and items in perfectly good condition do not end up at the garbage yard (or the ocean).
Tell your friends and family (and even strangers) about the dangers of littering and plastic pollution.
Put pressure on big corporations by using social media. Document the trash that washes up on your beaches. What labels do they have? Are they from safaris? From nearby resorts? Hold them accountable, use social media to pressure them to follow more sustainable practices.
This effort by us as a local NGO and the local island council will only be successful if we all do our part. Every citizen alike has a responsibility to keep our island and surrounding area beautiful, healthy and free of trash. IDEAS is moving forward in harmony with the environment with these bins and the reusable bags. Join us, do your part!