We need to make a difference in the environment every day, not just Earth Day

We are blessed with an abundance of natural beauty here in Canada, should never take what we have for granted and we need to take better care of the world in which we live.

Monday, April 22, will be celebrated as Earth Day here and across the world, and it is becoming increasingly important each year that we focus on the global impacts humanity is having on our homes.

This year's theme is "Planet vs. Plastics" and it provides a glaring example of how the decisions we make today will continue to affect our planet for centuries to come.

Consider the fact that it can take around 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose in a landfill. In the process of decomposition, plastic breaks down into tiny pieces called microplastics, which can make their way into other parts of our environment, including washing into our bodies in water.

When we add up the millions of tons of plastic that have already been dumped into our environment, the scope of the problem is staggering.

MICROPLASTICS IN ATLANTIC CANADA

The problem of microplastics is of particular concern here in Atlantic Canada, where each province has a substantial coastline and much of our livelihood is derived from our oceans.

While we can physically see most plastics that end up on land and clean them up, once it's broken down into microplastics, it becomes virtually invisible and will remain in our oceans for centuries.

Because they are so small, microplastics can end up being ingested by fish and other marine animals, which will eventually work their way up the food chain to humans.

Studies are already documenting this process happening and we would be fools not to recognize that this is only going to get worse in coming years.

RECYCLING

While it will take smarter minds than mine to come up with solutions for how we can deal with the microplastics that already exist in our environment, we can all play a crucial role in ensuring that we don't make the situation worse.

Over the past few decades, recycling programs have been instituted across this region and many plastics are now being recycled while others, including single-use grocery bags, have been banned altogether.

Sadly, many people choose to not participate in these programs and many plastics are still ending up in our garbage or, worse still, tossed out on the sides of our roads.

There are many other plastics that we are presently unable to recycle and these, too, eventually end up in our environment. Take a walk through your local store and take note of the many ways plastic is used in packaging our food and other merchandise and you'll realize just how pervasive our dependence on plastics has become.

WE MUST PLAY A ROLE

While we tend to look to our governments to find solutions to the big problems, the fact remains that the decisions we make as individuals add up to have a more critical impact than any government policy.

While it is unrealistic for us to ban all plastics, we can choose to restrict our use of plastics to those that can be recycled and make use of other materials when possible.

It might be a bit more expensive or inconvenient, but one thing we do know is that if we, as consumers, demand this type of change through our buying habits, businesses will adapt to meet this demand.

We can make a difference if we care enough about our planet, and this should be the case not just on Earth Day, but every day of the year.