Our planet is being destroyed by humans more than ever. We have made so much progress to simplify our ways of living that we have completely forgotten about or blatantly ignore the harsh impact that we have on our environments. I’m talking on a much larger scale than greenhouse gases and global warming. Even in our everyday lives, we utilize something and discard it without thought. How many people have a plastic bottle of water daily? Does it always go in the recycle bin when it’s done? A Starbucks coffee, were the cup, lid, straw, plastic stirrer and empty sugar packet all recycled? Does your bathroom trashcan have a lining of a plastic shopping bag? Did you get a styrofoam to-go cup from any meal? These are just a few questions that although may not seem like such a big deal, can really add up when it’s weekly or even daily for some, and done by hundreds of thousands of others across the country.
I understand how busy people are these days, working more than one job, trying to balance family, friends, pets and life. We really must start making a more concentrated effort to take better care of our planet. I’m not suggesting it can be done easily or cheap, in some cases it can’t be controlled at all.
As a type 1 diabetic I have to use a single use needle daily for my long acting insulin. I also have to use small plastic cartridges for my fast acting insulin daily. These items all end of in the garbage, either sitting in a landfill or burnt up in an incinerator. I don’t care for either of those options. But as a type 1 diabetic, I must do this daily to live. I would like there to be a way to melt down the metal needles to be recycled and to recycle all of the plastic bits. I’m calling you out manufacturers (Eli Lilly, Sanofi, Mannkind, BD, MHC) how can you help fix our impact on the world?
Some great tips to help save the planet:
1. Recycle– Learn how and what can be recycled, find local recycling programs near you.
2. Compost– Although it seems daunting to some, you can really incorporate composting into your daily life easily. (Learn more about it here)
3. Mail– Stop all unnecessary mail, be them magazines, credit card statements, etc. If you prefer to read things on paper, I totally get it, you don’t have to switch over to electronic reading, just please make sure all paper is properly recycled when you’ve finished with it.
4. Stop using Disposables– utensils, plates, cups. If you are a big pic-nicer that’s great, just buy a picnic set of actual plates, cups and cutlery to use and re-use every time you go.
5. No more water bottles– I love how water has become a new fad. It’s amazing, but too often those daily plastic water bottles end up in the trash and not recycled. Get yourself a reusable water bottle, they come in metal, glass and other materials and you can use them for years.
I’m not one of those, “Let’s live off the grid” people. I like many modern conveniences, such as public transportation, eating out and you know, the whole insulin to live thing. I just wish more people would try to incorporate a smarter approach to help reduce just a bit of the garbage we all contribute to the Planet.
Merci 🖤
Kevin Nicholas Gavit 