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Small Changes Make Big Impacts
Environmental Justice
By Caroline Parker
“Would you like a plastic bag for ten cents?” A common phrase asked at the end of every shopping venture. It seems so harmless, it really is just one little bag, how bad could one bag be? In reality, if everyone were to throw away just one plastic bag, it would be much more consequential than it might seem. With each and every little bag collected, there will be five trillion plastic bags consumed just this year! That’s five trillion plastic bags entering our waterways and oceans, and polluting our environment. This statistic may seem large, but bags are just a small percent of all plastic waste disposed of every year.
In order to play a role in saving our environment, everyone must take little steps. Simple acts of sustainability are a form of environmental justice. Environmental justice is the concept of taking actions in order to protect or help the Earth and its environment. One key act of environmental justice, that almost everyone can do is to be smart about plastic intake. This means being conscious of the amount of plastic and other waste you might be throwing away every day. Completing several small sustainable acts could build up, and if everyone on Earth were to take little steps towards eliminating wastefulness, our environment could become a much cleaner, and a much healthier place for future generations.
Here is a list of simple, sustainable ways to reduce waste:
● Bring your own bag when shopping, and stray away from using plastic bags. Keeping
reusable bags in your car is a great way to always have them on hand when shopping.
(plus, you won’t have to worry about your plastic bag ripping!)
● Packing your own lunch, and swapping to reusable plastic containers instead of plastic
baggies. Plastic countainers are perfect for sandwiches, snacks, and other foods!
(Investing in plastic containers will turn out to be much cheaper than constantly having to
re-buy plastic baggies).
● Buy local. Purchasing products from local sellers could bring health benefits, as well as
fresher food.
● Avoid fast fashion. Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced cheaply to keep up
with trends. Buy products that are more sustainable, and that will last longer. Also,
buying secondhand is great, as you can find amazing deals at thrift and consignment
stores. Sometimes, you can find clothes that are brand new!
Everybody must play their part in order to bring justice to the environment, and doing
something as simple as bringing a reusable bag to the grocery store, may make the world
of tomorrow, a much cleaner place.
Caroline Parker
Girl Scout Troop 3160
