PLASTIC POLLUTION
Did you know plastic bags are used for an average of ten minutes but take over 1000 years to decompose?
Did you know plastic bags pose as a danger to animals, as they often mistake them for food and die after swallowing it?
In fact, 50% of the camels in the UAE desert die in the UAE due to ingesting plastics.
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First, let’s get real: Not all plastic is bad. Bike helmets, car airbags, and many medical supplies made with plastic save lives. Plastic water bottles can bring clean drinking water to people who don’t have it, and plastic straws can help people with disabilities drink.
The problem is that most of us use and then toss way more plastic than we need: things like grocery bags, drink bottles, food wrappers, and plastic packaging around toys. This kind of plastic that’s used only once before being thrown away is called single-use plastic, and it makes up more than 50 percent of all plastic trash.
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THE PROBLEM
Next up on the menu, plastic stuffed chevon?!
Late-night camping by the roadside isn’t alien in the UAE but the waste left behind is causing problems for desert wildlife.
The plastic abandoned on the campsite is not only an eyesore in the beautiful landscape but is harmful to camels that roam the desert.
Plastic can end up in the stomachs of camels, goats or gazelles, leaving them unable to digest their food, which can lead to their possible death.
Countless bags of litter by the roadside also poses a huge risk for humans and the consequences are life-threatening.
Added chemicals during plastic production, plastics could have harmful effects on us.
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THE SOLUTION
Don’t get too upset! There’s still a way we can turn this around! There is so much YOU can do.
There has been a penalty put in place which fines whoever leaves rubbish after camping.
Try to refuse single-serving plastic, excess packaging, straws and other “disposable” plastics.
Use reusable ware! This can include, bottles, bags, metal straws etc. Carry reusable utensils in your purse, backpack or car to use. You can find reusable ware locally for affordable prices.
Recycle! You can recycle anything from PET plastic water bottles, paper, cans to fabrics!
Volunteer at a desert cleanup. They are quite common and often held by a number of different organisations.
Spread the word! Talk to people about why it is important to reduce plastic in our lives and the nasty impacts of plastic pollution.