Global waste trade means, international trade of waste between countries for further treatment, disposal, and recycling of waste. Toxic/Hazardous wastes are often exported by developed countries to developing countries known as Global south countries. In Africa, Asia and Latin America countries that produce more solid waste are economically more developed and industrialized. Hence, have more urbanization and more solid waste. Dumping of garbage by rich and powerful countries into poor and developing countries is termed as toxic colonization.

We should be proud Indian because we haven’t adopted such practices, instead, we have woken up to the gravity of the situation today and trying to develop our own indigenous methods of practicing the 3Rs, which are reduced, reuse and recycle. It’s time to go back to our roots because those roots were strong. Our culture has been an eco-friendly culture involving reverence to and worship of nature. We have been children of soil and should remain to be so, which is possible only when we stop aping the western culture. The western world is sitting on a massive garbage dump in the form of landfills that are out of sight but they do exist. We Indians once had very simple and nature-friendly habits that have been replaced by false comforts and luxuries, everything in this world is inter-related, our wants and desires are driving us towards our own doom. Unless we put a check onto ourselves we will be left to feel helpless very soon.

We all want to live in a world with more fish than plastic in the sea. This all starts with YOU. Committing to one thing at a time to swap, reduce or reuse plastic. We could be swapping to a reusable water bottle or cutting out plastic shopping bags, maybe even declining a plastic straw or carrying your own. It can be easy. NO PLASTIC, this sentence should not be just a motto or a fad. This sentence must have direct feedback in our lives. Each one of us must try to really reduce the use of this material.
According to research, 50% of the world’s plastic goes into items only used once- call them big 4.
1. Coffee/teacups
2. Plastic bottles
3. Straws
4. Plastic bags
Anything made up of plastic can be made from HEMP. It is a fiber of cannabis plant and it is used t make rope, strong fabrics, and paper. Cannabis plastics are non-toxic and biodegradable, it easily degrades in 80 days while plastic takes thousands and millions of years.

The world is being suffocated by plastic. Before you buy yourself a packet of chips, chocolates, noodles, pasta, etc. do you ask yourself, am I really hungry? Do I actually need it? Also, do you ever read the nutritional facts mentioned on such packets? If you ever read them you will find that these things have zero nutritive value and loads of calories. So, if you decide to eat right like snacking on fruit, you reduce the garbage inside your body and also outside your body in the surroundings. If we start small and start using:
1. Wooden brushes with bamboo fiber bristles which are 100% BPA free and they last for months, instead of using the plastic brushes with are not recyclable and end up in landfills.
2. Avoiding plastic straws, it takes nothing but means a lot for our oceans and marine life. If 133 cr. People say, “Its only one straw” how much would it sum up to be, have you ever wondered?
3. Buy loose vegetables
4. Use wooden or steel containers and spoons
5. Avoid using balloons in parties, which is an unnecessary waste that ends up in landfills or in a bird’s stomach.
6. Avoid using gift wrapping sheets

Supermarkets in Asia are now using banana leaves instead of plastic packaging. Ice cream is served in banana leaves and wooden spoons. These little steps can save us from the toxic and hazardous effects of plastic. We have to realize that we don’t have PLANET B.
WE HAVE MANAGED WITHOUT PLASTIC BEFORE, WE CAN DO IT AGAIN.