The world is consuming goods and services at an unprecedented rate, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, a household had produced great amounts of wastage, like aluminium tin-foil containers, plastic containers, use-and-throw gloves and masks, etc. This essay will explore the reasons for this and mention some possible solutions.
To embark on the topic, there are a few reasons why this issue has become a global concern. Nowadays, people tend to buy new things instead of reusing old ones. We consume more and more, thereby producing more wastage, be it the plastic bags that we use to carry foods and other things or the containers that we use to store food regularly. “Ordering in” has become a new normal as time constraints and convenience stand in the way of a home-cooked meal, and what remains, in the end, is satisfaction for the self and plastic throwaways for the earth.
Solutions do exist to this problem. First and foremost, restaurants should adopt a green approach towards food delivery, i.e., the food containers should either be recyclable or biodegradable. Recently, in Germany, a company started selling leaf-based containers, a product popular in the street food scenario of India. More countries should embrace this biodegradable product. Secondly, the dumping of waste into rivers, seas and oceans, and landfills should be avoided, and instead, they should be recycled. But the most important thing remains in the hands of normal people, for no solution will work without conscious use and awareness. So, everyone should switch to a sustainable lifestyle, something that will definitely ease the strain put on the planet.
In conclusion, the waste crisis is already impending predicaments on us, but we, both individuals and species, possess the intellect and will to fight through it.