Single- Use Plastics (SUPs) are items used once and then thrown away or recycled, like plastic bags (of thickness less than 120 micron), straws, cutlery, food packages, water bottles and Styrofoam cups. About half of all plastics used are single-use. Every year, around 380 million tons of plastic are produced, and half of it is disposable. The sheer volume of SUP waste overwhelms waste management systems, leading to inadequate disposal and recycling, and ultimately contributing to pollution. Single-use plastics are often cheap and flashy, and people prioritize convenience over durability. They end up as litter or release harmful particles called microplastics. These plastics take up to 1000 years to decompose as they contain non-renewable petrochemicals. They accumulate in landfills, water bodies and natural environments, contaminating water sources and marine life; and eventually enter the human food chain, contributing to health hazards, pollution and degrading the ecosystem.
In order to reduce the negative effects of these single-use plastics, individuals, industries, HEIs, and government should work together. Canara College has ever undertaken environmental initiatives; and therefore, in alignment with its Institutional Goals, the NSS Units through its Awareness Campaign on “Say No to Single-Use Plastics” conducted from June 10 to June 12, 2024, strived to contribute to the governmental initiative of ‘Eco Champ Activities for Environmental Community Engagement and Sustainable Development Goals’, in commemoration of World Environment Day.
The 256 NSS Volunteers enthusiastically participated in the awareness campaign. They raised awareness amongst the UG students by educating them about the numerous hazards in the usage of single-use plastics and displayed the informative handbills in each of the classrooms. The volunteers distributed the printed pamphlets also in the neighbourhood of their home and college to promote environmental awareness and sustainable practices among the masses. In addition, they strived to reach the wider public by putting up a banner at the college entrance, and by posting the flyer on Whatsaapp status, Instagram handle, Face book, X etc.
Report ByMrs. Seema Prabhu.
Mrs. M Keerthana Bhat
