DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The environmentalist group EcoWaste Coalition has called on the public to observe a “greener, trash-free” Holy Week.
“The Holy Week is a perfect time to reflect on our wastefulness that is consuming lots of finite resources and creating huge quantities of garbage that often end up in the streets, dumps and the oceans, or as feedstocks for cement kilns and incinerators,” Ochie Tolentino, Zero Waste Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition said in a statement on the eve of Palm Sunday.
The group underscored the need for concerted actions to reduce the volume and toxicity brought by massive garbage.
The country generates over 40,000 tons of garbage per day of which 9,872 tons are produced in Metro Manila, it added.
“The Holy Week provides an opportunity for all people to act, individually and collectively, to promote environmental awareness and responsibility, especially in the way we use resources and treat our surroundings,” said Tolentino.
The group issued 13 things to consider for an eco-friendly Holy Week.
“As care for creation is an integral part of the Christian mission, we urge the faithful to make the Holy Week a time to break from wasteful habits that are destroying our communities and the ecosystems year in and year out,” she added.
Below are eco-friendly tips for a waste-free and toxic-free observation of the Holy Week:
