Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues of the times, with far-reaching ill-effects on marine ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. In response to this global crisis, Far Eastern University (FEU), through its National Service Training Program (NSTP) and Community Relations Office, collectively NSRC, is taking a bold step forward in addressing plastic waste on campus.
The initiative, aptly named Tamaraw vs. Plastics, echoes the global theme of Earth Day 2024, “Planet versus Plastics,” which underscores the urgent need to eliminate single-use plastics. According to SAVEOURSHORES.org, plastic waste accounts for a staggering portion of global pollution, with over one million plastic beverage bottles sold every minute, making them some of the most littered items worldwide. Alarmingly, these plastics break down into microplastics that contaminate food chains and even enter human bodies—equivalent to ingesting a credit card’s worth of plastic each week.
“The Planet vs. Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end the scourge of plastics and safeguard the health of every living being on our planet,” emphasized SAVEOURSHORES.org.
Unified Effort on Campus
To respond to the global push to combat plastic pollution, NSTP and Community Relations announced a comprehensive campaign to significantly reduce and eradicate plastic trash on campus. The initiative aligns with the United Nations Treaty on Plastic Pollution, which seeks to phase out all single-use plastics by 2030.
Starting last Oct. 24, in celebration of the International Day of Climate Action, the university began implementing the following measures: Awareness Campaigns, where educational materials and campaign ads are disseminated across the campus to inform the FEU community about the dangers of plastic pollution and the importance of reducing waste; Reusable Alternatives, where NSTP students and NSRC volunteers lead efforts to promote the use of reusable water bottles and containers within the university; and Community Engagement, where FEU students and faculty are encouraged to actively participate in campus-wide cleanups and sustainability initiatives aimed at fostering long-term behavioral change.
Commitment to Sustainability
The campaign supports several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including: SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) – by preventing plastic waste from contaminating waterways; SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) – promoting sustainable waste management practices; SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) – reducing single-use plastics and encouraging reusable alternatives; SDG 13 (Climate Action) – mitigating the environmental impact of plastic production and disposal: SDG 14 (Life Below Water) – safeguarding marine ecosystems from plastic pollution; SDG 15 (Life on Land) – protecting terrestrial ecosystems from the harmful effects of plastics; and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) – fostering collaboration among stakeholders to achieve sustainability targets.
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