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Manila Bulletin

Environment and Sustainability

6 ways to have a plastic-free Holy Week

Environment and Sustainability

6 ways to have a plastic-free Holy Week

The International Day of Zero Waste falls on Black Saturday

By Mat Richter

EcoWaste Coalition on March 24, 2024 urged the faithful to observe a plastic-free Holy Week, citing the potential surge of plastic waste from religious activities.

“As we are invited to meditate on Jesus’ journey to the Cross and beyond, this is also an opportune time for devout Catholics to reflect on how plastic pollution caused mainly by single-use plastics (SUPs) is affecting the people and the planet,” said Ochie Tolentino, zero waste campaigner of EcoWaste Coalition.

In previous years, the Coalition saw widespread littering at popular pilgrimage churches and sites, with commonly discarded items including plastic bags, bottles, cups, cutlery, cigarette butts, and food containers.

“We appeal to the faithful to steer away from the insidious throw-away culture that is turning our lands and oceans into dumping grounds and observe climate-friendly and SUP-free practices for the sake of our environment,” Tolentino added.

For a SUP-free Holy Week, the environmental group asked the faithful to do the following:

• Respect pilgrimage sites by not using and littering SUPs

• Minimize using plastic tarps, which may contain toxic cadmium and lead, for Holy Week announcements

• Segregate waste at its source and compost organic or biodegradable materials

• When traveling out of town, embody the principle: "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time”

• Observe litter-free and smoke-free surroundings amid Senakulo, Alay Lakad, and other religious events

• Collect trash along your neighborhood's Station of the Cross route this Good Friday

Related Tags

Holy Week 2024 EcoWaste Coalition MBEnvironment

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