“Zaļā josta” invites schoolchildren to give things a second life
The consumption of plastic bags increases every year, causing environmental pollution and posing a threat to wildlife. Although strict restrictions on the free distribution of plastic bags in retail outlets came into force on 1 January this year, the environmental benefits are insufficient—it is essential to provide society with environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives.
To motivate society to reduce the consumption of plastic bags and find effective, sustainable, modern and stylish alternatives to traditional shopping bags, “Zaļā josta” is launching the creative competition “I Start with Myself—for a Clean Latvia!”. During the competition, children and young people are invited to explore ways of replacing plastic shopping bags with more environmentally friendly solutions for wrapping and carrying purchases, and to create their own unique shopping bags, made, wherever possible, from recycled materials.
Teams from general education and pre-school education institutions in Latvia are invited to apply for the competition “I Start with Myself—for a Clean Latvia!”. The task is to develop a design for an environmentally friendly and stylish shopping bag or sack, make the bag by hand, and present the result at the educational institution, encouraging others to replace plastic bags in their daily lives with environmentally friendly alternatives. The entries will be judged by a jury in four regional rounds, while the best participants will take part in the final showcase at the “Rīga Plaza” fashion and entertainment centre.
Applications for the competition are open until 25 March of this year. The application form should be sent to tirailatvijai@zalajosta.lv. More information about the competition is available on the organisers’ websites: www.tirailatvijai.lv and www.zalajosta.lv.
According to Jānis Lapsa, head of “Zaļā josta”, amendments have been made to Latvian legislation providing for the introduction of a charge for plastic bags. “These are administrative measures by the state to force a reduction in the consumption of plastic bags and their release into the environment, but for any changes to take root, we must start with ourselves. Through this initiative, we are calling on schoolchildren and each of us to create an alternative to using these plastic bags and change our everyday shopping habits. Therefore, if we focus only on the fact that plastic shopping bags will henceforth have to be paid for in retail outlets, we will not achieve great success. It is important for each of us to ask ourselves—and at the same time answer—the question: what can I personally do to reduce the consumption of plastic shopping bags?” stresses J. Lapsa. “Zaļā josta” is challenging all competition participants to do just that. They are encouraged not only to understand and change their own daily habits, but also to inspire the rest of society by their example—classmates, friends, parents or acquaintances.
According to European Union data, one person throws away an average of 31 kg of plastic packaging as waste each year, which amounts to 15.8 million tonnes of plastic waste annually across the European Union. In Latvia, the average amount of plastic packaging generated each year is 35,900 tonnes, of which approximately 14,493 tonnes, or 40.9%, are recycled. “Plastic waste pollution poses the greatest threat to the ecosystem. If the current trend continues, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans in the future,” stresses J. Lapsa.
The competition “I Start with Myself—for a Clean Latvia!” is organised by “Zaļā josta” in cooperation with the National Centre for Education, the “Rīga Plaza” Fashion and Entertainment Centre, Ogres State Technical School, and the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design.
