Our Plastic Problem

My Reflections

Reflection on the overall project

The challenge is that I will have to do my planning and to-do list on my own. I was able to face my fears and interview strangers and to present to an audience.

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I did not expect that I would have to reach out to other external organizations, the huge amount of information that I will have to research on and filter them so that I know which information to use. 

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The research went well. I was able to find research studies and real people accounts. I also learned that I would have to become more knowledgeable to be able to prove a point and convince the public. 

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The brainstorming on how to conduct the sharing session did not go as planned. I would need to find a way to make my sharing session more attractive so people would want to attend. 

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The creation of the website went well but I still need to edit some pages to make them easier to read 

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Overall the project was a great experience that helped me in my character development. Initially, I was very comfortable in my own comfort zone but the project forces me to venture into new areas which I would never have tried if it wasn't for this project. Being more daring and speaking to strangers was indeed very scary but I was able to conquer my fears and even conducted interviews with them. 

Reflection on our plastic problem

Plastics are so ingrained in our lives that we don't even realize that we rely on them too much. From a single used straw to an entire playground made of plastic. This material appears so often in our lives, we can pick up one item idly around us right now and they are compose of plastic. This situation is shocking, but the first step is to accept the truth of our dying earth. Our increasing consumption of plastic leads to experts predicting that our oceans will have more plastic than fishes by 2050. What is more worrying is not a large number of plastic pieces but the microplastics that are spreading to every part of our world.

I feel that ditching plastic completely is nearly impossible. Businesses use plastics to package items for food safety as they want to ensure the food hygiene is up to standard. They would also take into consideration that plastic is light and durable, so it helps them to transport more products. But we can try to reduce the usage of plastic whenever we could by switching to alternatives. Everyone has a part to play: consumers, businesses, and government. We as consumers can start by bringing our own recycling bags for grocery trips. Personally, I put thermal bags in cupboards near the main door. By doing so, it prevents me from forgetting to bring along a bag when doing grocery shopping. Businesses should not only prioritize personal gains and profit but also look out for the interest of the community as well as the environment. For example, businesses can pledge to reduce the use of plastic by not providing straws and disposable cups at pantries.

I hope that everyone can think ahead and not only focus on the convenience plastic gives us at that moment. You might not believe it but the single used straw that we use for 20 mins to drink that cup of coffee is exchanged for that horrible 20 years of life in the future that our future generations will experience: worsening climate change, more frequent natural disasters, and even extinction.