The Plastic War

Are we winning the plastic war?

Over the years, I decided to minimise my use of single-use plastic. I bought a tote bag, food and water containers, among others, that I can use for years.

In Ghana, when you buy food, sellers will first dish it into a transparent plastic bag.

Then they’ll put it in a black plastic bag before finally placing it all in another plastic bag that probably says “thank you”.

That’s three single-use plastic!

Anytime I reject plastic, I come up against apathy and indifference. A woman asked me if I was alright.

Certain sellers take it as being rude for rejecting good packaging.

I’ve tried to explain how damaging these plastics have become to our home – the Earth. But it seems too farfetched for them to grasp.

They’ve not seen plastic in a fish’s guts before.

To them, the change in our climate is a punishment from God.

Plastic that clogged up our drainage and caused flooding on rainy days, and that resulted in the death of some is “being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

I feel I’m swimming against the tides.

That’s the reality.

To stand up for what is right when others sit,

to work what is fine while the majority do otherwise is a strenuous course to take.

It’s a worthwhile route that brings freedom from guilt and seared conscience.

Don’t sit on the sideline.

When all of us play our part, we can win the plastic war.