Clean air. Safe water. Food that doesn’t make you sick. These are fundamental needs that are increasingly at risk. Students and faculty at Briar Woods High School are searching for solutions to stop the environment from getting worse. Everyday items like plastic bottles, paper towels, and food wrappers have a significant impact on the environment and are slowly affecting the planet. While Briar Woods is just one school, we can make a difference by making more sustainable choices in our everyday lives.
Teachers at Briar Woods are fully aware that our day-to-day actions affect the environment. Brady Hurlich, a special education science teacher at Briar Woods High School, sees the negative effects of waste and how we can reduce it as much as possible.
“Be mindful of your actions, and not just students, but everyone, making sure that you engage in a more sustainable activity and trying to do things to minimize any wastes,” said Hurlich.
Over 14,500 tons of waste are produced daily by public schools in the United States, a large portion of which is coming from single use plastics including straws, utensils, and plastic water bottles. However, a student that uses disposable lunch items averagely produces 67 pounds of garbage. The reliance of plastic in schools can cause major problems such as polluting the water we drink and the soil we use to grow the food we eat. Alternatives include biodegradable items that don’t litter landfills and oceans. Even switching to silverware over plastic utensils can help make a big impact.
One of the many students at Briar Woods, Olachi Ikwuazorm, a ninth grader taking Earth science notices how harmful plastic can really be for the environment.
“When you use non-disposable items and you throw it away it can immensely impact and harm the ocean and the animals on the land,” said Ikwuazorm.
If people continue to overlook the risks associated with plastic waste, our environment may suffer irreversible consequences. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the World Economic Forum claims, if we continue to unconsciously dump plastic in the sea, there will be more plastic than fish by 2050. Plastic doesn’t only hurt animals, it can also hurt humans as well. Microplastics have been found in the food and water we consume. If we continue not to take proper action, our planet will remain at risk and everyone living on it will suffer. Choosing glass over plastic is one way to lessen this burden. Buying products that are made from recycled items is another great way to make a difference
Lorenzo Thrower, a school security officer at Briar Woods, understands how one can make an impact on the environment.
“One individual can have an impact on the environment. Because everything has a cycle, so in other words, if one person were to do something to interfere with the natural occurrence of what’s going on it’s going to destroy the ecosystem,” said Thrower.
As a result of this, plastic pollution is a severe threat, but by making changes and becoming more aware of our actions, students at Briar Woods and individuals everywhere can create positive change. Every reusable water bottle, every piece of plastic recycled, every person educated can lead to a happier and healthier planet. The earth is counting on it.
