Friday, December 19, 2008

EcoWaste Coalition Launches ‘Iwas PapuTOXIC” Drive,

Quezon City. Before we look for those firecracker stands to celebrate the New Year with a bang, the EcoWaste Coalition reminds us that firecrackers are toxic to humans, animals and the environment.

As part of their advocacy for chemical safety and environmental health, the waste and pollution watchdog today launched their “Iwas PapuTOXIC” drive, stressing that firecrackers cause not only noise pollution, but also toxic smoke and litter that can endanger human and animal health and the environment.

In an effort to boost the campaign, a thousand students from Claret School in Quezon City made a big show of how the New Year can be just as festive without firecrackers by sounding alternative noisemakers from recycled materials as they unfurled a giant banner saying “PapuTOXIC sa kalusugan at kalikasan, sa tao at hayop man: iwasan!”

In lieu of firecrackers, the enthusiastic students created “emission-free, zero waste” sounds from tambourine made from bottle caps, maracas from tin cans, cymbals using pot lids, and shakers from plastic bottles, juice packs, soap and toothpaste boxes filled with seeds, coins and pebbles.



Joining the festive campaign launch were Claret grade school principal Evelyn Angeles, actor Roy Alvarez, veterinarian Dr. Rey del Napoles, Cathy Untalan of the Miss Earth Foundation and the representatives of Alaga Lahat, Buklod Tao, Cavite Green Coalition, Earth UST, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Health Care Without Harm, Mother Earth Foundation and Sining Yapak.

“With money so hard to come by these days, lighting firecrackers is literally burning hard-earned money away, while putting the safety and health of the people and animals around us at grave risk,” Roy Alvarez, Vice-President of the EcoWaste Coalition, said.

“Centralized pyrotechnic display does not solve the problem either. It is undeniably pouring money down the drain and should be discouraged. We propose that public funds earmarked for fireworks should be used to buy books for school libraries, build more classrooms and set up community recycling facilities,” Alvarez emphasized.

The EcoWaste Coalition has drawn up 10 eco-friendly substitutes to firecrackers which are available at minimal or no cost at all:

1. Blow traditional horns or "torotot."
2. Make and shake homemade maracas from used tin cans.
3. Jiggle the tambourine made from flattened bottle caps.
4. Clang improvised cymbals using pot lids or pans.
5. Knock empty coconut shells.
6. Play the guitar or any available musical instruments.
7. Play your favorite music.
8. Beep the bicycle or car horns.
9. Clap your hands and stump your feet.
10. Sing, dance and shout “Happy New Year!”

The EcoWaste Coalition identified six reasons why Filipinos should turn away from the bloody, dirty and costly rites of welcoming the New Year with firecrackers:

1. Firecrackers can cause serious if not fatal injuries. Incorrect handling can lead to the loss of limbs, lives and properties.

2. Firecrackers produce smoke and dust loaded with harmful chemicals that can aggravate the poor air quality and cause throat and chest congestion and other health problems, particularly for people with asthma and chemical sensitivities.

3. Firecrackers leave behind unwanted discards such as paper scraps, cellophane and plastic wrappers, and PVC pipes from “boga” that add to the mountains of holiday trash.

4. Firecrackers produce deafening noise that can lead to anxiety, stress, sleep disorders, and hearing disabilities, and trigger high blood pressure and heart attack.

5. Firecrackers can result to severe ear injuries for animals who are more sensitive to sound, so the noise hurts their ears, terrifies them, and causes them to run wildly or lose their navigational skills.

6. Firecrackers waste money that should be spent instead to buy food for the table, clothes and books for the children and other essential needs.

The EcoWaste Coalition expressed support for Senate Bill 2119 filed by Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., which calls for a ban on the manufacture, sale and use of all firecrackers. Pimentel justified the proposed move, saying that “no amount of safety reminders from health and law enforcement authorities can prevent accidents from occurring when revelers handle firecrackers or pyrotechnics because of their highly perilous nature.”

Besides the danger to life, limb, and eardrums, firecracker explosions, the EcoWaste Coalition pointed out, emit the same toxic chemicals as smoke-belching vehicles, significantly increasing the level of deadly gases and particulates in the atmosphere.

A World Bank study released in 2007 estimates that there are nearly 5,000 premature deaths in Metro Manila alone due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases from exposure to poor air quality. Costs associated with treating reported diseases attributed to air pollution amount to PhP962M per year, with an additional PhP6.7B in lost income for air pollution-related deaths due to pneumonia in children and cardiopulmonary disease and lung cancer in adults.

“While recognizing the marked decline in firecracker-related injuries in the past years, we believe that the Department of Health and the entire government machinery should do more and aim for zero injury, death and pollution from firecrackers, which is definitely the better way to welcome the New Year,” the EcoWaste Coalition said.


EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 320, Eagle Court Condominium, Matalino St.
Quezon City, Philippines
+63 2 9290376
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com

www.ecowastecoalition.org

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Iwas PapuToxic! by Miss Philippines-Air Marie Raquel Equia




EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 320, Eagle Court Condominium,
Matalino Street, Quezon City
(+63) 29290376
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com

www.ecowastecoalition.org

Friday, December 5, 2008

Toxic-free Paskong Pinoy! by Miss Earth Karla Henry



EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 320, Eagle Court Condominium,
Matalino Street, Quezon City
(+63) 29290376
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com

www.ecowastecoalition.org

A Message from Juddha Paolo



EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 320, Eagle Court Condominium,
Matalino Street, Quezon City
(+63) 29290376
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com

www.ecowastecoalition.org

Thursday, December 4, 2008

COMPLETE GUIDE: Toxics-Free Pasko, Handog Natin sa Mundo

EcoWaste Coalition 50 Tips on How to:
  • Decorate Green

  • Give Green

  • Party Green

  • Clean Green

  • Rejoice Green


I. DECORATING GREEN:
Many Filipinos welcome the coming of Christmas with happiness, color and glitter as families show their feelings by adorning their house, work place, schools with decorations and symbols radiantly vibrating the spirit and warmth of the holidays. How can we avoid waste and toxic while decorating our havens?

1. Create your own belen (crib) using recycled materials that will reflect the profound meaning of the birth of the Redeemer amidst the simplicity and poverty of the manger.

2. Recycle decorations from previous celebrations or create new ones from discards or from what you already have. Decorate with used and biodegradable materials as much as possible.

3. Reuse old Christmas trees or create your own using potted plants or trees, twigs or broomsticks.

4. If you are to buy some holiday decorations, look for items that are locally made, non-toxic, reusable and require no electricity.

5. Avoid decorations and products that create waste and/or use hazardous chemicals such lead in paint; for art designs, opt for water-based, non-toxic decorative paints.

6. In lieu of Christmas lights, create a garland made of recycled materials such as old cards, gift wraps and ribbons in lieu of Christmas lights to prevent electric consumption.

7. If you really want to light up, use bulbs with low wattage to save on energy or better, choose safe, energy efficient and long lasting lights such as light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.

8. Use Christmas lights sparingly. Consider lighting them on as Christmas nears and only when needed. Turn them off during day light. Switch them off whenever you’re away or asleep.

9. Avoid stringing too many Christmas lights. The number of lights and the size of your electric bills have nothing to do with the true spirit of Christmas.

10. Stop competing for the cutest, brightest and longest Christmas lighting in your neighborhood. Conserve electricity and celebrate in the savings that you can share with Christmas carolers in your neighborhood.


WATCH OUT: Some decorations and gift toys use disposable batteries, some of which contain highly toxic chemicals such as cadmium, lead and mercury. Throwing spent batteries, a form of electronic waste, to the bin or to the dump raises the possibility environmental contamination. In lieu of disposable batteries, opt for rechargeable ones.


II. GIVING GREEN:
Every Christmas a lot of us dig deep into our coffers to give our loved ones, especially the children, gifts to warm the heart or fill the belly. How do we avoid creating more holiday trash? How do we make sure we are not unwittingly poisoning the children? How do we tackle crass consumerism so that the real reason for the season is not drowned out by the festive celebration?

1. Collect unused gifts, old clothes, toys, books and other materials and donate them to a charitable institution.

2. Personalize gifts by making them yourself. Why not gift friends and family with your specialty dish, plants from your own backyard, scrapbooks, or a CD music selection.

3. Volunteer your time and talents to projects and services for the community and the environment. Ask your barangay, church, school or organization how you can be of help.

4. Give old items that you already have a new look. This not only prevents waste generation, it also allows room for personal creativity. It also gives the receiver the feeling that you took the time and effort to create for her/him.

5. When buying gifts, choose eco-friendly products that do not come from old-growth forests, contain no GMOs, are not fossil fuel based, nontoxic, and not made from child or abusive labor practices.

6. Give products, delicacies from your province. Go for fruits, vegetables, plants, sweets, condiments, decorative and functional crafts, etc.

7. Give environment-friendly gifts made of recycled materials or products or services that advocate sustainable living. Share items that will teach recycling such as handouts, primers and manuals on the different kinds of recycling.

8. Choose gifts that do not need to be wrapped such as potted plants, massage from blind masseurs, gift checks, concert tickets, raffle tickets etc.

9. If you need to wrap the gift, use old magazines or newspapers (especially the comics section), old bandannas, etc. You can also use craft paper and jazz it up with colored pencils.

10. Call or send e-card to family and friends with Internet access. Create your own greeting card to give it a more personal touch or buy cards from groups with a special mission or advocacy.


WATCH OUT: Ensure that gifts, especially toys, school supplies and instructional materials for children, do not contain hazardous ingredients such as bisphenol A, lead, mercury and other chemicals of concern. Carefully read the product labels. If the information is inadequate or is written in a language that you do not understand, better not buy it. You have the right to be informed and to be protected against dishonest or misleading product label or advertisement.


III. PARTY GREEN:
No Christmas is complete without the office party or the family reunion. But before we start spending for sumptuous meals and putting on those extra pounds, plan in advance to make your “salo-salo” not only healthy and environmentally-friendly, but also sensitive to the widespread poverty around us. How do we make it sure that party discards will be managed well and not end up in far away communities where they are dumped or burned?

1. Prepare for modest festivities and use party savings to bring Christmas cheer to deprived families and communities. Refuse to organize lavish and wasteful parties. Collectively decide in favor of more austere gatherings and give the money saved to individuals or families in need.

2. If food is catered, request for reusable utensils. If food is bought from restaurants, bring containers to avoid throw-away plastic and Styrofoam containers, which only end up in dumpsites and water bodies. Ask the caterer to provide bins for biodegradable waste for big parties. Refrain from using throw-away utensils and plastic and Styrofoam containers. Go for reusables that can be washed and reused.

3. Announce a no left-over suggestion before the party starts to prevent wasting food.

4. Ensure the ecological management of discards: reuse and recycle the non-biodegradables, feed the food leftovers to animals or compost them to make nutrients for healthy soils. Announce that there are bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable discards for small parties.

5. Choose reusable cloth napkins instead of single use paper napkins. You can make cheap cloth napkins from cheesecloth or flour bags. Simply wash and store for future use. Use a little starch to make them more presentable and to give a new look all the time.

6. Choose healthy and, if possible, vegetarian dishes.

7. Avoid foods cooked with trans fat, use our local cooking oil made from coconut oil

8. Avoid soft drinks. Prepare juices from calamansi, dalanghita and other healthy sources like kamias, tanglad etc. Use brown or muscovado sugar as sweeteners.

9. Avoid junk food like chips, for appetizers. Instead prepare vegetable strips, small chunks of boiled saba, camote,

10. Use fruits for dessert instead of pastries that use a lot of white sugar and are more expensive because of packaging which are mostly non-biodegradable.


WATCH OUT:
The chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor, can leach from warming food in containers marked “microwave-safe,” and can expose infants to high doses of this hazardous chemical. As a precautionary measure, do not microwave food or beverages in plastic or heat plastic cling wraps.


IV. CLEANING GREEN:
Advertisements made us believe that the way to keep our homes clean is to buy these mainstream easily-accessible cleaning products. Little did we know that these products that have chemical contents (often difficult to read and pronounce) are dangerous to both our health and the environment. They may be effective in getting rid of bad bacteria but they also kill good bacteria and poison our bodies, too, thus the need to make cleaning green and safe.

1. Go for natural, inexpensive and easily accessible household cleaning substitutes. It helps to keep basic ingredients for your non-toxic cleaning recipes like:

    • Baking Soda which cleans and deodorizes

    • Lemon Juice which cuts grease, deodorizes and freshens.

    • Plant/vegetable based soap. Avoid soaps with strong scents, colors and other additives as they sometimes contain artificial fragrances and unnecessary chemicals.

    • White Vinegar – disinfects and freshens

    • Washing Soda - Cuts grease and removes stains. Disinfects. Softens water. Available in laundry section of grocery store or in pure form from chemical supply houses as "sodium carbonate."


2. Explore environment-friendly, natural, organic and safer cleaning materials available in the market. Never compromise your family’s health and safety by buying cheap but toxic-ridden products.

3. Ensure safety by reading the label of the products you buy. It is important that you know what chemicals are in the product you use and its possible impacts to your health

4. Store cleaning materials and ingredients safely out of children’s reach. Properly labelled cleaning materials will also help avoid confusion.


5. When you feel the urge to clean up your room, think before you throw. Donate clothes, books and other items that can still be reused to your neighbors, parish or favorite charity. Segregate items that can be recycled.

6. Refrain from using insecticides as they contain many hazardous substances. Seek information on natural pest control and environment friendly alternatives to toxic chemicals.

7. Never burn your discards as this will release dangerous pollutants such as dioxins and particulate matters, while destroying materials that could have been recycled or composted.

8. Use damped cloth when dusting. This will keep the dust from moving around the house avoiding inhalation of these allergens. Avoid using paper towels to clean up your mess. More trees are cut to produce these towels. Protect the trees, use reusable towels and rags instead.

9. Make sure that you ventilate the room very well when cleaning up. This will make fumes dissipate faster especially when using toxic-cleaners.

10. Save on water, electricity and cleaning materials as you do your chores. Read and learn more about green cleaning substitutes and take time to share these tips with your friends.


V. REJOICE GREEN:

Bursting firecrackers can cause serious if not fatal injuries. Incorrect handling of firecrackers can lead to the loss of limbs, lives and properties. Also, blasting firecrackers produces smoke and dust loaded with harmful chemical compounds, aggravating the already poor air quality, causing throat and chest congestion and other health problems, particularly for those with asthma and chemical sensitivities. What are the alternative noisemakers that we can use to herald the New Year minus the bloodshed and the noxious cocktail of pollutants dirtying the air?


1. Blow traditional horns or "torotot" to welcome the New Year.

2. Place pebbles, seeds or coins in used tin cans, beverage containers or soap boxes for improvised maracas or shakers.

3. String together bottle caps or "tansan" for recycled tambourines

4. Bang pot lids, pans or washbasins.

5. Strike bamboo or any wooden slat.

6. Knock empty coconut shells.

7. Play your favorite musical instruments.

8. Honk bicycle or car horns.

9. Clap your hands and stumping your feet.

10. Sing, dance or shout at the top of your lungs and wishing everyone a "Happy New Year."


WATCH OUT: Setting off firecrackers and other polluting noisemakers also leaves behind residual waste such as paper scraps, cellophane and plastic wrappers, and PVC pipes that add to the piles of holiday trash. In lieu of "bawang," "sinturon ni hudas," "baby rocket," "trompillo," sparklers, "atomic big triangulo," "pla-pla," "lolo thunder," "super lolo" and "watusi" (the last five are officially banned), the Ecowaste Coalition urges New Year revelers to opt for safe and eco-friendly noisemakers.


EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 320, Eagle Court Condominium,
Matalino Street, Quezon City
(+63) 29290376
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com

www.ecowastecoalition.org

EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 320, Eagle Court Condominium,
Matalino Street, Quezon City
(+63) 29290376
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com

www.ecowastecoalition.org

Toxics-Free Pasko, Handog Natin sa Mundo

EcoWaste Coalition 50 Tips on How to:
  • Decorate Green

  • Give Green

  • Party Green

  • Clean Green

  • Rejoice Green


I. DECORATING GREEN:
Many Filipinos welcome the coming of Christmas with happiness, color and glitter as families show their feelings by adorning their house, work place, schools with decorations and symbols radiantly vibrating the spirit and warmth of the holidays. How can we avoid waste and toxic while decorating our havens?

1. Create your own belen (crib) using recycled materials that will reflect the profound meaning of the birth of the Redeemer amidst the simplicity and poverty of the manger.

2. Recycle decorations from previous celebrations or create new ones from discards or from what you already have. Decorate with used and biodegradable materials as much as possible.

3. Reuse old Christmas trees or create your own using potted plants or trees, twigs or broomsticks.

4. If you are to buy some holiday decorations, look for items that are locally made, non-toxic, reusable and require no electricity.

5. Avoid decorations and products that create waste and/or use hazardous chemicals such lead in paint; for art designs, opt for water-based, non-toxic decorative paints.

6. In lieu of Christmas lights, create a garland made of recycled materials such as old cards, gift wraps and ribbons in lieu of Christmas lights to prevent electric consumption.

7. If you really want to light up, use bulbs with low wattage to save on energy or better, choose safe, energy efficient and long lasting lights such as light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.

8. Use Christmas lights sparingly. Consider lighting them on as Christmas nears and only when needed. Turn them off during day light. Switch them off whenever you’re away or asleep.

9. Avoid stringing too many Christmas lights. The number of lights and the size of your electric bills have nothing to do with the true spirit of Christmas.

10. Stop competing for the cutest, brightest and longest Christmas lighting in your neighborhood. Conserve electricity and celebrate in the savings that you can share with Christmas carolers in your neighborhood.


WATCH OUT: Some decorations and gift toys use disposable batteries, some of which contain highly toxic chemicals such as cadmium, lead and mercury. Throwing spent batteries, a form of electronic waste, to the bin or to the dump raises the possibility environmental contamination. In lieu of disposable batteries, opt for rechargeable ones.


II. GIVING GREEN:
Every Christmas a lot of us dig deep into our coffers to give our loved ones, especially the children, gifts to warm the heart or fill the belly. How do we avoid creating more holiday trash? How do we make sure we are not unwittingly poisoning the children? How do we tackle crass consumerism so that the real reason for the season is not drowned out by the festive celebration?

1. Collect unused gifts, old clothes, toys, books and other materials and donate them to a charitable institution.

2. Personalize gifts by making them yourself. Why not gift friends and family with your specialty dish, plants from your own backyard, scrapbooks, or a CD music selection.

3. Volunteer your time and talents to projects and services for the community and the environment. Ask your barangay, church, school or organization how you can be of help.

4. Give old items that you already have a new look. This not only prevents waste generation, it also allows room for personal creativity. It also gives the receiver the feeling that you took the time and effort to create for her/him.

5. When buying gifts, choose eco-friendly products that do not come from old-growth forests, contain no GMOs, are not fossil fuel based, nontoxic, and not made from child or abusive labor practices.

6. Give products, delicacies from your province. Go for fruits, vegetables, plants, sweets, condiments, decorative and functional crafts, etc.

7. Give environment-friendly gifts made of recycled materials or products or services that advocate sustainable living. Share items that will teach recycling such as handouts, primers and manuals on the different kinds of recycling.

8. Choose gifts that do not need to be wrapped such as potted plants, massage from blind masseurs, gift checks, concert tickets, raffle tickets etc.

9. If you need to wrap the gift, use old magazines or newspapers (especially the comics section), old bandannas, etc. You can also use craft paper and jazz it up with colored pencils.

10. Call or send e-card to family and friends with Internet access. Create your own greeting card to give it a more personal touch or buy cards from groups with a special mission or advocacy.


WATCH OUT: Ensure that gifts, especially toys, school supplies and instructional materials for children, do not contain hazardous ingredients such as bisphenol A, lead, mercury and other chemicals of concern. Carefully read the product labels. If the information is inadequate or is written in a language that you do not understand, better not buy it. You have the right to be informed and to be protected against dishonest or misleading product label or advertisement.


III. PARTY GREEN:
No Christmas is complete without the office party or the family reunion. But before we start spending for sumptuous meals and putting on those extra pounds, plan in advance to make your “salo-salo” not only healthy and environmentally-friendly, but also sensitive to the widespread poverty around us. How do we make it sure that party discards will be managed well and not end up in far away communities where they are dumped or burned?

1. Prepare for modest festivities and use party savings to bring Christmas cheer to deprived families and communities. Refuse to organize lavish and wasteful parties. Collectively decide in favor of more austere gatherings and give the money saved to individuals or families in need.

2. If food is catered, request for reusable utensils. If food is bought from restaurants, bring containers to avoid throw-away plastic and Styrofoam containers, which only end up in dumpsites and water bodies. Ask the caterer to provide bins for biodegradable waste for big parties. Refrain from using throw-away utensils and plastic and Styrofoam containers. Go for reusables that can be washed and reused.

3. Announce a no left-over suggestion before the party starts to prevent wasting food.

4. Ensure the ecological management of discards: reuse and recycle the non-biodegradables, feed the food leftovers to animals or compost them to make nutrients for healthy soils. Announce that there are bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable discards for small parties.

5. Choose reusable cloth napkins instead of single use paper napkins. You can make cheap cloth napkins from cheesecloth or flour bags. Simply wash and store for future use. Use a little starch to make them more presentable and to give a new look all the time.

6. Choose healthy and, if possible, vegetarian dishes.

7. Avoid foods cooked with trans fat, use our local cooking oil made from coconut oil

8. Avoid soft drinks. Prepare juices from calamansi, dalanghita and other healthy sources like kamias, tanglad etc. Use brown or muscovado sugar as sweeteners.

9. Avoid junk food like chips, for appetizers. Instead prepare vegetable strips, small chunks of boiled saba, camote,

10. Use fruits for dessert instead of pastries that use a lot of white sugar and are more expensive because of packaging which are mostly non-biodegradable.


WATCH OUT:
The chemical Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor, can leach from warming food in containers marked “microwave-safe,” and can expose infants to high doses of this hazardous chemical. As a precautionary measure, do not microwave food or beverages in plastic or heat plastic cling wraps.


IV. CLEANING GREEN:
Advertisements made us believe that the way to keep our homes clean is to buy these mainstream easily-accessible cleaning products. Little did we know that these products that have chemical contents (often difficult to read and pronounce) are dangerous to both our health and the environment. They may be effective in getting rid of bad bacteria but they also kill good bacteria and poison our bodies, too, thus the need to make cleaning green and safe.

1. Go for natural, inexpensive and easily accessible household cleaning substitutes. It helps to keep basic ingredients for your non-toxic cleaning recipes like:

    • Baking Soda which cleans and deodorizes

    • Lemon Juice which cuts grease, deodorizes and freshens.

    • Plant/vegetable based soap. Avoid soaps with strong scents, colors and other additives as they sometimes contain artificial fragrances and unnecessary chemicals.

    • White Vinegar – disinfects and freshens

    • Washing Soda - Cuts grease and removes stains. Disinfects. Softens water. Available in laundry section of grocery store or in pure form from chemical supply houses as "sodium carbonate."


2. Explore environment-friendly, natural, organic and safer cleaning materials available in the market. Never compromise your family’s health and safety by buying cheap but toxic-ridden products.

3. Ensure safety by reading the label of the products you buy. It is important that you know what chemicals are in the product you use and its possible impacts to your health

4. Store cleaning materials and ingredients safely out of children’s reach. Properly labelled cleaning materials will also help avoid confusion.


5. When you feel the urge to clean up your room, think before you throw. Donate clothes, books and other items that can still be reused to your neighbors, parish or favorite charity. Segregate items that can be recycled.

6. Refrain from using insecticides as they contain many hazardous substances. Seek information on natural pest control and environment friendly alternatives to toxic chemicals.

7. Never burn your discards as this will release dangerous pollutants such as dioxins and particulate matters, while destroying materials that could have been recycled or composted.

8. Use damped cloth when dusting. This will keep the dust from moving around the house avoiding inhalation of these allergens. Avoid using paper towels to clean up your mess. More trees are cut to produce these towels. Protect the trees, use reusable towels and rags instead.

9. Make sure that you ventilate the room very well when cleaning up. This will make fumes dissipate faster especially when using toxic-cleaners.

10. Save on water, electricity and cleaning materials as you do your chores. Read and learn more about green cleaning substitutes and take time to share these tips with your friends.


V. REJOICE GREEN:

Bursting firecrackers can cause serious if not fatal injuries. Incorrect handling of firecrackers can lead to the loss of limbs, lives and properties. Also, blasting firecrackers produces smoke and dust loaded with harmful chemical compounds, aggravating the already poor air quality, causing throat and chest congestion and other health problems, particularly for those with asthma and chemical sensitivities. What are the alternative noisemakers that we can use to herald the New Year minus the bloodshed and the noxious cocktail of pollutants dirtying the air?


1. Blow traditional horns or "torotot" to welcome the New Year.

2. Place pebbles, seeds or coins in used tin cans, beverage containers or soap boxes for improvised maracas or shakers.

3. String together bottle caps or "tansan" for recycled tambourines

4. Bang pot lids, pans or washbasins.

5. Strike bamboo or any wooden slat.

6. Knock empty coconut shells.

7. Play your favorite musical instruments.

8. Honk bicycle or car horns.

9. Clap your hands and stumping your feet.

10. Sing, dance or shout at the top of your lungs and wishing everyone a "Happy New Year."


WATCH OUT: Setting off firecrackers and other polluting noisemakers also leaves behind residual waste such as paper scraps, cellophane and plastic wrappers, and PVC pipes that add to the piles of holiday trash. In lieu of "bawang," "sinturon ni hudas," "baby rocket," "trompillo," sparklers, "atomic big triangulo," "pla-pla," "lolo thunder," "super lolo" and "watusi" (the last five are officially banned), the Ecowaste Coalition urges New Year revelers to opt for safe and eco-friendly noisemakers.


EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 320, Eagle Court Condominium,
Matalino Street, Quezon City
(+63) 29290376
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com

www.ecowastecoalition.org

Toxics-Free Pasko, Handog Natin sa Mundo (Tagalog)

Gabay na Listahan mula sa EcoWaste Coalition

  • Decorate Green

  • Give Green

  • Party Green

  • Clean Green

  • Rejoice Green


I. DECORATING GREEN:

Maraming Pilipino ang sinasalubong ang Pasko nang may kasiyahan, makulay at ningnig. Ang bawat isa ay naglalagay ng mga palamuti sa kanilang mga tahahan, lugar paggawaan, paaralan at iba pa upang ipakita ang kanilang masayang pagsalubong ng Kapaskuhan. Paano natin maiiwasan ang paglikha ng basura habang ginagawang makulay ang ating mga tahanan?


1. Gawin ang belen o sabsaban na ang gamit ay mga recycled materials.

2. Gamitin muli ang mga palamuting ginamit noong nakaraang Pasko o gumawa ng bagong palamuti mula rito.

3. Gamitin muli ang lumang Christmas tree o gawing dekorasyon ay halamang nakalagay sa paso, tanim na puno, sanga o kaya ay walis.

4. Kung bibili ng mga palamuti, tiyakin na ang mga ito ay gawa sa Pilipinas, walang taglay na nakalalasong kemikal at hindi nangangailangan ng kuryente

5. Iwasan ang mga dekorasyon o produkto na lumilikha ng maraming basura o nagtataglay ng mapapanganib na kemikal tulad ng pinturang may lead. Para sa mga disenyo, gumamit ng mga water-based, non-toxic na pintura.

6. Bilang pamalit sa Christmas lights, gumawa ng dekorasyon na mula sa mga lumang cards, pambalot ng regalo, laso at iba pa. Nakaka-aliw din itong pagmasdan ngunit walang ikokonsumong kuryente.

7. Kung nais ay maliwanag, gumamit ng mga bumbilya na may mababang wattage o kaya ay energy efficient, o kaya naman ay ang mas matibay at matipid sa kuryente na light emitting diode (LED) bulbs.

8. Iwasan ang madalas na paggamit ng Christmas lights. Gamitin lamang kapag gabi at kung kinakailangan. Patayin kung kayo ay aalis ng bahay o bago matulog.

9. Iwasan ang napakaraming Christmas lights. Hindi maisasalarawan ng ningning ng Christmas lights ang tunay na diwa ng Pasko.

10. Huwag makipagpaligsahan sa kung sino ba ang may maningning, magarbo at maraming Christmas lights at dekorasyon sa inyong komunidad.


BANTAYAN: Ang ilang dekorasyon o laruan ay nagtataglay ng baterya at ito ay maaaring nagtataglay ng nakakalasong elelmento tulad ng cadmium, lead at mercury. Ang pagtatapon ng baterya sa mga basurahan at mga tambakan at ang pagsusunog nito ay lubhang mapanganib sa kalikasan at kalusugan. Bilang pamalit, gumamit ng mga rechargeable batteries.



II. GIVING GREEN:

Ang Pasko ay panahon ng pagbibigayan. Paano natin maiiwasang lumikha ng napakaraming basura a tiyaking ang ating ihahandog sa ating mga anak, inaanak o mahal sa buhay ay hindi makakapeligro sa kanilang kalusugan.

1. Kalapin at ipagkaloob sa kawanggawa ang mga di kailangang regalo, kasama yung mga damit, laruan at aklat na napagkalakihan na.

2. Lumikha ng sariling regalo para sa mga kapamilya at kaibigan: lutong bahay, halaman mula sa bakuran, scrapbook, CD music selection at iba pa.

3. Ilaan ang iyong libreng oras at galling sa mga proyekto sa inyong barangay. Alamin kung paano ka makatutulong sa iyong komunidad.

4. Gawing bago ang iyong mga lumang gamit sa pamamagitan ng iyong imahinasyon at talento. Ang mga lumang gamit ay maaring lagyan ng karagdagang palamuti na ikaw mismo ang nakaisip.

5. Kung bibili ng mga regalo, bumili ng mga produkto na hindi galling sa mga punong mula sa gubat, may taglay na GMO, walang taglay na nakalalasong kemikal, at iba pa.

6. Maghandog ng mga produkto na mula sa iyong tubong lalawigan tulad ng mga natatanging kakanin at katutubong inumin. Maaari ring ihandog ay prutas, gulay, halaman, minatamis at iba pa.

7. Maghandog ng mga makakalikasang regalo na gawa sa mga recycled na materyales o mga bagay na nagsusulong sa “sustainable living.”

8. Pumili ng mga regalo na di na kailangang ibalot pa. Halimbawa: pagbigay ng halaman sa paso, masahe ng mga masahistang bulag, gift cheque, concert ticket, raffle coupons at iba pa.

9. Huwag ng ibalot pa ang regalo. Kung nais ibalot, gamitin ang mga lumang magasin o dyaryo (comics section), papel na supot, pinaglumaang bandana o retaso. Imbes na plastic tape o ribbon, maaaring gumamit ng abaka o sinulid bilang panali.

10. Padalhan ng e-cards ang mga kapamilya at kaibigan na may access sa Internet. Kung magbibigay ng Christmas card, sikaping gumawa ng sariling card na mas personal ang dating at mensahe.


BANTAYAN: Siguraduhin na ang mga regalo lalo na ang mga laruan, school supplies at instructional materials para sa mga bata ay hindi nagtataglay ng mapapanganib na kemikal tulad ng bisphenol A, lead, mercury at iba pa. Ugaliing magbasa ng product label. Kung kulang ang impormasyon o hindi naiintindihan ung nakasulat, iwasan itong bilhin.


III. PARTY GREEN:

Hindi kumpleto ang Pasko kung hindi nagkakaroon ng Christmas party sa trabaho o kaya naman ay reunion ng pamilya. Ngunit bago tayo magsimulang gumastos ng malaki, mainam na planuhing mabuti ang salu-salo upang ito ay maging healthy, environment friendly at hindi maaksaya ang ating pagtitipon. Paano natin masisiguro na ang basurang maliliha ng ating pagtitipon ay maka-apekto pa sa ating komunidad o sa malalayong pamayanan kung saan itinatambak o sinusunog ang mga basura?

1. Maghanda ng payak na selebrasyon para sa mga kababayan o ka-barangay na hindi kayang makapaghanda ngayong Pasko. Maaari rin na ang matitipid mula sa isang magarabong handaan ay idonate sa kawanggawa.

2. Iwasan ang paggamit ng styrofor, plastik at mga disposable utensil na madalas ay itinatapon na lamang at sa tambakan ang bumabagsak. Piliin ang mga reusable upang magamit pang muli sa ibang okasyon

3. Ianunsyo sa pagsisimula ng salu-salo o party na huwag magiiwan ng tiring pagkain.

4. Tiyakin na may bukod na lalagyan para sa nabubulok at hindi nabubulok na mga panapon. Gawing compost ang mga nabubulok at ibalik sa lupa. Gamitin muli o ibalik sa pabrika ang mga di nabubulok.

5. Gumamit ng reusable cloth kaysa sa single use paper napkins.

6. Maghanda ng healthy o vegetarian dishes.

7. Iwasan ang mga pagkaing iniluto sa trans fat. Gumamit ng mga local cooking oil o coconut oil.

8. Iwasan ang softdrinks. Magtimpla ng mga juice na mula sa kalamansi, dalandan, kamias at iba pa. Gumamit ng brown sugar o muscovado.

9. Iwasan ang junk foods. Sa halip, maghanda ng mga vegetable strips, nilagang saging o kamote bilang appetizer.

10. Prutas ang ihanda sa dessert.


BANTAYAN: Ang kemikal na Bisphenol A (BPA), isang endocrine disruptor, ay maaaring tumagas sa pagkain lalo na kung ito ay mainit. Ang nasabing kemikal ay mapanganib sa kalusugan lalo na sa mga sanggol at mga bata. Upang makaiwas, huwag mag-microwave ng mga pagkain na gamit ay plastics.


IV. CLEANING GREEN:

Inienganyo ng mga patalastas ang mga tao upang maipaniwala na mainam na panlinis ng bahay ang mga komersyal na easily-accessible cleaning products. Ang hindi natin alam, ang mga produktong ito ay nagtataglay ng mapapnganib na kemikal (na kadalasan ay mahirap basahin) at mapanganib sa ating kalusugan. Upang maiwasan, narito ang mga maaaring gawin:.

1. Gumamit ng mga natural at murang panlinis ng inyong tahanan. Ilan sa mga sumusunod ay maaaring nasa inyong mga tahanan:

    • Baking Soda

    • Lemon Juice

    • Mga plant/vegetable based soap. Iwasan ang mga sabong may matatapang na amoy at kemikal.

    • Sukang puti

    • Washing Soda


2. Maghanap ng mga environment-friendly, natural, organikong panlinis ng bahay.

3. Ugaliing magbasa ng product label. Alamin ang mga kemikal na maaaring taglay ng gagamiting produkto at tingan kung ano ang maaaring epekto nito sa katawan.

4. Ilagak ang mga panlinis at cleaning materials sa lugar na hindi maaaring maabot ng mga bata.


5. Huwag magtapon ng mga pinaglumaang gamit tulad ng lumang damit, gamit na libro at iba pa.

6. Huwag gumamit ng mga chemical insecticides. Maghanap ng mga environment friendly alternatives na pamatay peste.

7. Huwag susumugin ang iyong mga panapon.

8. Gumamit ng basing tela sa paglilinis. Ito ay upang hindi kumalat ang alikabok sa iyong tahanan habang iakw ay naglilinis. Iwasan dina ng apggamit ng paper towels sa paglilinis.

9. Panatilihing well ventilate ang iyong kuwarto.

10. Basahin at alamin ang mga alternatibo at maka-kalikasang panlinis ng inyong bahay at ibahagi ang iyong kaalaman sa iyong mga kaibigan.


V. REJOICE GREEN:
Ang pagpapaputok ay lubhang mapanganib sa kalusugan at kalikasan. Ito ay nagdudulot ng usok, alikabok at nagbubuga ng mapapanganib na kemikal na magpapalala sa kalidad ng hangin at maaaring mag-trigger ng mga sakit tulad ng hika, ubo at iba pang respiratory diseases. Ano ang mga alternative noisemakers na maaari nating magamit sa pagsalubonng ng Kapaskuhan at Bagong Taon?


1. Gumamit ng traditional horns or "torotot".

2. Maglagay ng mga bato, buto at pera sa loob ng mga latang lalagyan, bao o soap boxes upang maging improvised maracas o shakers.

3. Pagsamasamahin at italic ang mga pinitpit na tansan upang maging recycled tambourines

4. Mag-ingay gamit ang mga takip ng kaldero, kaserola, timba at iba pa.

5. Maghampas ng kawayan o kahoy sa pader.

6. Pag-untugin ang mga bao ng niyog.

7. Play your favorite musical instruments.

8. Gamitin ang busina ng iyong bisikleta, motor o kotse.

9. Tumalon at pumalakpak ng malakas.

10. Umawit, sumayaw at humiyaw ng malakas sa pagsalubong ng Bagong Taon.


BANTAYAN: Ang mga paputok ay nag-iiwan din ng maraming basura tulad ng paper scraps, cellophane and plastic wrappers. Ang mga boga o mga improvised na kanyon na gawa sa PVC pipes ay mapanganib din. Bilang pamalit sa mapanganib at napakamahal na paputok tulad ng "bawang," "sinturon ni hudas," "baby rocket," "trompillo," sparklers, "atomic big triangulo," "pla-pla," "lolo thunder," "super lolo" and "watusi", nanawagan ang EcoWaste Coalition sa publiko na umiwas sa paggamit ng paputok at salubungin ng ligtas at maka-kalikasan ang Bagong Taon.




EcoWaste Coalition
Unit 320, Eagle Court Condominium,
Matalino Street, Quezon City
(+63) 29290376
ecowastecoalition@yahoo.com

www.ecowastecoalition.org