| Azaraimy HH |
INCREASINGLY, the young people of Brunei are leading the way for social action, volunteerism and advocacy in the country.
Nur Hafizah binti Abdul Harith is one such person, in her ‘Straw Wars Brunei’ campaign against the use of plastic drinking straws, while using social media as a platform.
It may sound trivial, but it is a mammoth goal.
Since plastic straws are almost ingrained in the daily lives of consumers, most scientists agree that they have far-reaching consequences to the planet and to the human life-cycle.
As plastics can’t biodegrade, they last indefinitely – breaking down into smaller pieces, littering our landscapes and oceans, feeding into the food chain, and potentially ending up on our dinner plates.
‘Straw Wars Brunei’ is a youth-led social media campaign committed to reducing or eliminating single-use plastic straws, by educating the public about the impact on the environment and marine life.
In countries like the United Kingdom and the United States, thousands of restaurants and cafes have united to eradicate the billions of straws discarded every year into landfill.
The idea is simple – either get rid of plastic straws completely, or provide them only when requested by a customer.
But, Nur Hafizah said in Brunei it is not simple to persuade restaurants and cafés to join the cause, because the level of awareness or understanding is not strong enough among adults to contemplate or persuade them to act.
“Believe me, we tried, and it’s far from easy,” she said.
So the campaign wants to begin with young people – the future generation – by using social media to reach as many as possible. This also requires a little funding.
The campaign is advocating a movement where people will reject the use of plastic straws, in the hope that restaurants and cafes will one day listen to their customers and begin offering alternatives, such as paper straws.
To persuade people, especially consumers, to reject plastic straws, Nur Hafizah is posting facts, statistics and photos on the Straw Wars Brunei social media accounts.
At the same time, she hopes to educate the public of alternative reusable straw types (bamboo, metal and paper) by posting their benefits to the environment and marine life as opposed to plastic straws.
In January this year, 1.9 tonnes of trash was collected from Serasa beach, mostly made up of plastic items, including plastic straws. Globally, eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean on an annual basis.
Plastic also poses a threat to marine life, with scientists estimating that at least one million seabirds, along with 100,000 marine animals and sea turtles, are harmed every year, from ingesting plastic.
Plastic straws are made of polypropylene, a by-product of petroleum. They also contain bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxin that can cause cancer.
Nur Hafizah said, “Most people do not know where plastic straws go, after being disposed. Since they are rarely recycled, they are bound to end up in our rivers and oceans. The best way for us to reduce water pollution is by reducing and eliminating single-use plastic straws, and by check outing reusable straws.
“This will not only bring us a step closer towards reducing waste, but also the protection of marine life and the environment.”
She said she was inspired to start her pitch for Straw Wars Brunei just recently, when Save Philippine Seas, an environmental NGO, introduced her to Straw Wars Philippines.
“As part of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) SEA Camp programme in Bohol, Philippines, we had a segment called ‘Letters to Leaders, where we had to write letters, be they complimentary or constructive criticism. I chose to write to the Municipal Department of Brunei Darussalam, concerning the trash situation in the capital, both during and after the weekly ‘Bandarku Ceria’.
“My letter addressed two problems: waste disposal and plastic trash, after purchasing food and drinks from the stalls for ‘Bandarku Ceria’. This, together with many inspiring and eye-opening talks at the YSEALI SEA Camp in Bohol, made me realise the lack of awareness among Bruneians, when it comes to plastic waste disposal.
“As a social scientist, I asked myself, ‘Where does it go? What happens after you segregate your waste?’
“When a youth-led group called ‘Save Kampong Ayer’ did their river clean-ups, why do plastics occupy the most significant waste collected? Brunei is doing so well with our no-plastic bags weekend, so why not plastic straws, too?
“I was made aware, through the YSEALI SEA Camp, that marine animals and sea turtles are directly affected by plastic waste when they get entangled in, or ingest plastic straws. Together we can reduce not only the impact that plastic has on our environment, but also on our marine life.”
Nur Hafizah admits that she used to be terrified of the ocean. “But it was at the YSEALI SEA Camp that I found my true calling. The moment I knew that I wanted to pursue my advocacy about protecting our oceans,” she said.
“Straw Wars Philippines aims to reduce or eliminate single-use plastic straws at the source by engaging with business establishments such as resorts, cafes, hotels, and restaurants, and has become one of my main inspirations that pushed me to pursue this advocacy.”
Nur Hafizah can be reached at strawwarsbrunei@gmail.com to support this campaign.
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