By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
Some days ago, I was so disturbed to see a woman burn mixed garbage of paper, plastics, etc. by the roadside. If I wasn’t in a hurry to go to Bontoc for a meeting, I would have gotten down from the jeep and talked with her. Garbage now contains not just grass and leaves and twigs but also plastics, hazardous wastes (like batteries and light bulbs) and a lot of synthetic materials. When burned, these synthetic materials release poisonous gases and heavy metals and other particles in the air which contaminate where we live, work and play. Aside from its direct effect on us, these gases contribute a lot to global warming which again is adversely affecting our health. Double trouble.
The most notorious of these poisons emitted from burning plastics is dioxin (popularly known as Agent Orange used during the Vietnam War). Dioxin tends to stick to the waxy surface of leaves and so it enters our bodies not only through our nose but through our food – either directly or through animal food.
Aside from entering through our nose and mouth, these poisons can also enter our bodies through our eyes and skin. These chemicals can cause cancer, respiratory illnesses, birth defects, allergies, headache, dizziness, etc.
Because of their small body size, children are at greater risk of harm from these chemicals.
Aside for polluting our air, burning your mixed garbage will also pollute our soil because its ash also contains toxic chemicals which plants will absorb. Aside from that, these chemicals will eventually find their way to our waters, either be seeping way down below to our ground waters or through surface run off to our streams and rivers. These will finally end up in the ocean. Think of our “gachew”, “kutti” and grilled tuna.
These poisons are invisible to the naked eye and their adverse effects such as cancer are not immediately seen so many people misjudge and think that burning their garbage is okay. Out of sight, out of mind. We should be concerned that the poisonous smoke and ash from burning garbage is not only for the person burning. Smoke also goes to your neighbor and the whole community and world and later the ash will find its way to everybody’s food and water.
WHAT TO DO NOW WITH YOUR GARBAGE:
Reduce – don’t buy or get if you don’t really need it. Babies don’t need shoes – let their feet breathe.
Precycle – If you have to buy, buy recyclable products. Don’t buy if you cannot dispose of it or its packaging properly. Nowadays, the packaging are often wasteful and unnecessary.
Compost – let your biodegradable wastes decay and return to the soil. There are technologies now that hasten composting. Just ask your municipal agricultural office.
Reuse – if you don’t need it, give it to somebody who needs it or bring to a Materials Recovery Facility cum Thrift Shop. Barangay Masla, Tadian, is a great model to follow.
Recycle – let your creative spirit work. Those shiny junk food wrappers are being recycled to colorful purses and bags.
Bring to your Materials Recovery Facility or to any redemption center all hazardous wastes – batteries of all kinds, light bulbs, old cell phones and other electronic gadgets, pesticide containers, any waste containing heavy metals.
Like me, I am sure this woman I saw burning garbage has children. If we are not concerned about ourselves then we should pity our children and future generations who will have to clean the poisons we carelessly scatter in our air, water and soil. Love your neighbor and Mother Earth. Stop burning garbage!***
“Success comes in cans, failure comes in can’ts.” God’s Little Devotional Calendar
