It is the season to be jolly, to be holy, to love and to give. And it is in the last act, the act of giving, where we struggle at Christmas time.
Malls bulge with the influx of shoppers buying gifts to show their loved ones just how much we love them. Plastic bags carry plastic toys and polyester clothes and plastic-wrapped food.
In this flurry, we sometimes forget that giving does not have to mean endless product consumption. Giving does not have to mean taking away from the environment. The environment that gives us life, gives us everything. Giving can be as simple as a hug, a smile, our best listening ears to someone in need, or, most importantly, giving our time.
Not all our toys end up in the right place! Share love and time, not things!
For the last three months, I’ve been cycling the Philippines coasts picking up plastic from beaches and advocating for the need to reduce plastic consumption. We have collected over 500 sacks of plastic from the coastlines so far. Most of you are aware of the havoc this is wreaking on the marine environment. The Philippines, as part of the Coral Triangle, has everything to lose from the prolific amount of trash entering the ocean. But it’s not the time to talk about the negatives, as Christmas is very much a time for hope.
Me and my bambike with 3 sacks of plastic collected from a beach in Panay.
Around the country, I have been met with messages of hope every time I see a recycled decorations. The Philippines is famous for this. In fact I believe it is these informal recycling efforts that are saving us at the moment. Around the world, we are struggling with recycling, but here in the Philippines, at Christmas time, I see no struggle, I see only beauty.
A recycled spoon Christmas decoration I came across in Caldon.
From plastic bottles to recycled lids, straws, to this. It’s amazing what trash can become if we see the value in it.
As someone from New Zealand, yes, I come from a more “developed” country. Yet I will not lie, we too have a problem with consumption. Numerous studies have shown that once basic needs are met there is very little happiness to be gained in material possessions. So if there is one message that I want to share to the Philippines, from New Zealand at Christmas time, it is this:…
Don’t lose your traditional values and replace them with mass consumption. It will not bring the happiness you deserve. Don’t replace your traditional materials like wood, bamboo, or rattan, for plastic. It will only wreak havoc on the environment.
Choose products and food that grow. Keep up your spirit of recycling. Keep up your spirit of believing. Keep up your spirit. You have an amazing country; the beauty is phenomenal! So please keep life simple, clean, and plastic free. Not only will it be better for the environment, it will be better for your health and happiness, too.
Merry Christmas!
Love,
Anna from Plastic Free Philippines
Anna is cycling from Negros to Pagudpud on a bamboo bike to raise awareness about the need to reduce plastic and keep it out of the oceans. She has been in love with the Philippines since she first visited in 2008 as a civil engineer. She welcomes you to join her journey and pledge to reduce plastic on Facebook or her website www.plasticfreephilippines.com
Anna with her son, checking out recycled decorations in a market in Batangas.