PlastiCaution

by Esha Zuleyka Morales

Plastic is very harmful to human life and the environment. They lead to destroying marine life and polluting Earth. We used to hear that plastics are on different bodies of land and water , and with that it destroyed many. But what if not only in water and soil but also through the air, which is also extremely harmful to human life?

Dark smoke was seen from the Divine Shepherd crematorium facility in Cagayan de Oro City on September 1, 2021 during an investigation by the City Local Environment and National Resources Office (CLENRO).

A video was posted on Facebook on August 7, 2021, about the dark smoke coming from the crematorium facility, located in Barangay Bulua. One of the residents interviewed also claims the facility continuously emits thick smoke for three to six years, causing health problems. He also added that it has been frequent since the pandemic began.

“Black smoke will be released only five minutes from the start of a cremation process. This is because other items will be included in the cremation such as body bags made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) materials; () cellphones, laptops, and other items of those who died during their hospital stay were included in the cremation,” CLENRO Chief Armen Cuenca said.

Cuenca also manages the Management of the Dead Cluster and has negotiated with private funeral service providers to either bury or cremate dead COVID-19 patients.

Burning plastic is harmful to our health because it contains dioxin and furan which are harmful to ourhealth. Cuenca also added that these elements, even if they are small, can cause great damage to us and the environment, which when burned can also cause death. If dioxin is inhaled it can cause coughing, difficulty in breathing, and dizziness. The most lethal is when you are exposed to it for a long time, which will cause cancer. Plastic pollution has become one of the major environmental issues, as the rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products is making the whole world lack the capacity to deal with or resist them. It is more visible in developing countries in Asia and Africa, where waste collection systems are often inefficient or non-existent. But the developed world, especially in countries with low recycling rates, also has problems with properly collecting discarded plastics. What can we do to reduce the pollution or issue of this plastic? It’s easy, we should help ourselves to not use plastic to reduce it, and if you have plastics in your house just recycle them for more use. We must stop burning PVC or any other plastic for the sake of our environment and continue to follow the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.