Over the last few weeks I have been upping the ante when it comes to green living. I have always been conscious of the effect that my being has on the world around me, but living in Albania has inspired me to make further changes. Already a big fan of natural beauty products, I was invited to a monthly meet up called ‘Green Drinks” by a friend, Anxhela Panxhi.
Green Drinks is a global initiative that originated in London several decades ago. The idea is that every month, those that work in the environmental field, or have a strong interest in such matters meet up in an informal setting to share and discuss ideas. Held at one of my favourite cafes in Tirana, E7Per7shme, it was an interesting mix of individuals from many different countries and backgrounds and I found it a warm and welcoming experience. During the meeting, we were treated to a rousing and inspirational talk from Christy Loop, a teacher at the Albanian College Durres and the woman behind a local clean up that I wrote about recently. With an attitude of ‘Trash is trash and it has its place. Its place is not in rivers or sitting amongst the poppies.”
Clean up Durres!
After her talk, we decided as a group to organise another cleanup event which will be held on the 30th of June. We will be meeting at the Durres Hostel at 9 am and will proceed to clean up the beach, and then relax in the sun afterwards. I will be organising transport from Tirana, so if anyone wants to come and lend a hand, do not hesitate to let me know!
What I admire about Christy is her unwavering attitude that it is our responsibility, not just to NOT litter, but to clean up after ourselves. We place a lot of blame on the government for pollution and litter, but in reality, we are not children and we should not just look to the state to rectify a problem that we all had a hand in creating. Yes, the government needs to lend a hand in educating youngsters from an early age, and it should also make improvements when it comes to recycling and creating more eco-friendly laws, but at the end of the day, we need to learn to be responsible for our own actions. This planet belongs to every single one of us and it is all of our responsibility to ensure that not only does it look beautiful, but that it can be enjoyed by everyone.
STRAW WAR
Another issue that I wanted to bring up was the issue of plastic straws- I have been guilty many times of using the pointless plastic tubes, but now I realise the damage they cause I have vowed never to use one again. Every day around 2billion plastic straws are used around the world and whilst they are made from recyclable material, the reality is that most do not make it to the recycling plant. Instead, they end up in our rivers, beaches and oceans. They are not biodegradable and instead they break down into toxic microplastics that are then ingested by marine life including fish, shellfish, and turtles. This microplastic is toxic to our little underwater friends and over half will die from consuming such products. The rest end up on our plate and those horrible little microplastics make their way into our digestive system and into our bodies.
Still want to use a straw? You can visit Amazon or eBay and purchase reusable aluminium straws, or even use specially made paper ones. Or here is a groundbreaking thought, why not ditch them altogether? Why should the environment suffer just because you want to sup a drink on a hot day through a piece of neon coloured plastic? To me, this is a prime example of human arrogance. I challenge everyone reading this to boycott straws for 7 days- I guarantee that after those 7 days you won’t even miss them. If you want to take it a step further, why not tell the the waiter at your favourite cafe or bar about the idea? Education on these matters is the only way that things will change.
I have made a little banner declaring war on straws and I am encouraging people to share on Facebook. Start refusing straws and if you are a waiter, try not giving them as standard, and only if someone specifically requests. Bar and cafe owners- straws cost you money- why not try charging for them in an attempt to discourage customers? Or why not phase them out altogether. Yes, your customers might think they want them now, but help us educate them that there are other options than such a toxic product that results in devastating environmental consequences.
Apart from the Straw Wars campaign, I have another green idea in the pipeline and it relates to plastic takeaway drinks cups. Watch this space.
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