With a few days remaining before the New Year, a group raised concerns over bad practices that add to environmental degradation and pollution.
The pollution watchdog group, EcoWaste Coalition, encourages the public to avoid practices which tend to endanger human health and the environment.
The group discouraged the public from using firecrackers and fireworks, including polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pipe cannon or “boga,” which can cause burns and injuries, worsen the air quality and aggravate health problems.
“Refrain from engaging in activities that can contaminate the air, soil and water with various pollutants, and result in an array of serious health problems, especially for vulnerable populations,” EcoWaste Coalition national coordinator Aileen Lucero said.
Other activities the group discourages are the burning of garbage and used car tires, and the releasing of balloons and sky lanterns.
The mixing of discards from the New Year’s Eve revelry adds to the volume and toxicity of holiday trash or “holitrash” hauled to disposal facilities, the group pointed out.
Garbage burning can generate numerous pollutants and cause a range of health effects, including eye, throat and skin irritations, shortness of breath and headaches, and respiratory diseases, the group warned.
On the other hand, the burning of used car tires to serve as a bonfire can produce a whole gamut of chemical pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and benzopyrene. Aside from producing toxic smoke and ash, these may damage the roads, especially the asphalted ones, it said.
Meanwhile, keeping waste materials segregated prevents cross-contamination and facilitates the reuse, repair, recycling, and composting of discarded resources, the group added.
Chlorinated waste materials will lead to the formation and release of dioxins and furans, which are linked to reproductive, developmental, immune and nervous system disorders, as well as cancers.
Releasing balloons and sky lanterns to herald the New Year can be harmful to aquatic animals which could be entangled in balloon strings, get trapped in the lantern frames, or eat this marine litter by mistake.
Also, the lanterns may drop anywhere, causing structural fires and wildfires.
“Let’s usher in the New Year with less trash and toxins from the revelry, in line with the human right of every Filipino to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,” the group said./WDJ