Dubai
We organised an awareness campaign in a hypermarket located in Al Barsha, Dubai, to tell people about the ill effects of plastic on the environment. This marked the beginning of a new year for us. With a group of 12 student from different Dubai-based schools, we spoke to customers and requested them to take a pledge to reduce the usage of plastic and consider alternative options, because of the harm it causes to our planet.
The campaign called for an eye opening conversation amongst my group of friends and we decided to take on a challenge of actively encourage people to build a safe and sustainable environment for our future generations.
Priyanka Sahadevan, a student and member of the group, said: “The usage of plastic is an epitome of addiction in our society. The primary aim of our campaign is reducing this addiction this year.”
Another member of the group, Meghana Senthil Kumar, said: “I find it absolutely ironic how every bit of plastic that has ever been created still exists but that this polymer has been wrecking its creator’s world. Our campaign was aimed at bringing about an aspiration among people so as to get them to stop using as much of the menacing material in 2017.”
Samruddhi B., a Dubai-based student, believes that each one of us is responsible towards our planet. “I am thankful for this opportunity which helped me to interact with many people to share the importance of avoiding plastics,” she said.
We now aim to give back to society through various campaigns. Our aim is to instill sustainable habits among members of the community, which are dwindling. We hope to make an important contribution in reducing the toll of preventable hazards and dangers from plastic use.
My ultimate mission is to create awareness among students and the public on the needs to protect the environment by planting and proper recycling. My vision is to take initiatives in all possible ways to protect the environment.
Let’s try to make a pledge in this new year to say no to plastics forever.
— The reader is a student based in Dubai.
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