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THE ILOILO provincial government must be commended for the innovative program “Basura Mo, I-Parol Mo” – an eco-friendly lantern-making contest. It is part of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Month celebration. The finished lanterns are displayed at the capitol for the entire Yuletide season.
The program is a good waste prevention and reduction strategy this holiday season. Yes, typical household discards can be given a new lease on life by “upcycling” them into holiday decorations. Yes, discarded materials can be converted into something creative and useful. There are countless ways of transforming our discards into functional and, yes, beautiful, things. We can go zero waste or darn close.
The “upcycling”of discards is a sensible way of reducing the high volume of waste that is hauled to dumps, especially during Christmastime when crass consumption and disposal are at its peak. It’s no secret that our society generates tons of extra waste during the festive weeks of shopping, partying and gift-giving. Also, “upcycling” will help lower our holiday spending and allow us to save hard-earned money for more essential family and personal needs.
By recycling, we reduce the environmental costs of our merry making, including lessening the demand for virgin materials for new products to be manufactured. This will mean fewer trees cut and mountains mined, more energy saved and decreased amounts of pollutants emitted.
In this era of climate change, we are called to be mindful of what we consume and what we throw away. Ecological consumption is a timely response that, hopefully, will help in restoring simplicity, which is the very heart of Christmas.
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