2018年5月開始，太陽一直高掛於香港的上空。每一天清晨六時，大家仍懶洋洋地躺在床上時，一絲絲的陽光已穿透玻璃窗，照耀著整個房間。到下午時份，在車來人往的街道上，氣溫更高，熱得讓人喘不過氣來。汗水一滴接一滴沿著臉頰流下的同時，夏日消暑飲品店的排隊人龍從無間斷，一杯又一杯涷冰冰珍珠奶茶頻頻端出，身旁的垃圾桶也堆滿一個個連飲管的塑膠杯子。
從店員手上接過那杯珍珠奶茶及飲管，直至飲用完畢，前後可能只花半至二小時。隨手一拋，那支飲管和塑膠容器就會從垃圾桶送至垃圾堆填區。香港的垃圾處理以堆填為主，在其他發展中國家，垃圾常常會拋到河流或海灘，最終流入大海。據一項研究推斷，如以現時速度繼續傾倒塑膠垃圾至海洋，到2050年，海洋塑膠垃圾重量甚至會比魚還要多。
上個月，長春社有幸受邀參與香港教育大學舉辦的「3R3C少『塑』點嘉年華」活動，展示海洋塑膠污染問題及塑膠升級再造物品。我們期望接觸更多本地小學生，推動城巿塑膠減廢工作。
一枝飲管看似很微不足道，但幾年前於網上瘋傳海龜被飲管塞鼻的片段，讓我們看見事實的真相。展覧期間，我們故意遮蔽畫中部分海洋生物，邀請在場的小學生猜猜那些黑影是甚麼。藍澄澄的海洋，小朋友畫筆下的海龜、海馬及珊瑚魚也是快樂健康成長的。可惜，現實中的海龜卻因一枝飲管痛不欲生。
望見一張被飲管插入鼻子的海龜相片，小小年紀的學生們愕然，沉默了！他們紛紛承諾不會把垃圾棄掉於海洋。為拯救這可憐的海龜，有同學甚至建議直接把飲管拔出，縱使流血也要為海龜暢通氣道。
「塑膠垃圾太多，甚至流入海洋，扼殺了很多海洋生物的生存空間。」最有效幫助海龜，應是減少使用塑膠製品，如：減少使用即棄飲管及膠袋等。保護環境不只是學習一兩個方法便能達到，更依賴著我們長年累月的努力，堅定不移的態度，絲絲的曙光便會展露於在這班孩子和他們的小孩子的笑容上。
Less Plastic Point 3R&3Cs Carnival
The sun shines above the sky over Hong Kong for a long time since May this year. Every morning at 6 o’clock, a trace of sunlight had penetrated the glass and shone across the room when we still lay in bed. In the afternoon, the crowded streets with hot weather pushed me to sweat profusely and lose breath. Dozens of people were queuing up to buy a cup of bubble tea meanwhile the sweat trickling downs their cheek. The trash next to the shop was already filled with plastic straws and disposable cups.
From fetching the drink from the cashier to finishing consuming, it might only take half to two hours. Once we had finished, the plastic straw and tea cup would usually have become waste and buried in landfills. Disposing waste in landfills is the major waste management strategy in Hong Kong nowadays; while in developing countries, garbage is often thrown into rivers and beaches and then flowing into oceans in the end. According to Ellen MacArthur Foundation report, it estimates that the weight of the plastics illegally dumped in sea will be greater than that of fishes by 2050 if there are no actions being taken.
The Conservancy Association (CA) was pleased to join the ‘“Less Plastic” Point 3R&3Cs Carnival’ organized by The Education University of Hong Kong last month to illustrate the marine plastic pollution and showcase the plastic up-cycling items. We hoped to reach out to more local primary students and then urge them to adopt green practice in the city.
Flinging a straw in sea seems a drop in the bucket, but the video of the turtle with a straw in its nose lets us know what the truth is. In the workshop, we deliberately obscured some of the marine species in the painting and invited the pupils to guess what the shadows were. All the turtles, seahorses and coral fish in the sea are also happy and healthy under the children’s brushes and imaginations. However, the straw left the poor turtle wincing in pain in reality.
Looking at the photo of that turtle, the kids were shocked and sad. They all promised to protect and keep a clean ocean. One of the students even decided to help the turtle do a straw removal operation. Although the green sea turtle might get injury, he still insisted to do so because he hoped it will be able to breathe more freely for the rest of its life.
The marine habitats were already destroyed because too much plastic litter dumped in oceans. To avoid other turtles being tortured by the straw, saying ‘No’ to the plastic disposables, like straws and plastic bags is crucial. But it all stays closed to our attitude and sustained actions. Only when we keep practicing it day-by-day, can the ecosystem and beautiful sea be restored and reserved to our next generations.