Eco-Challenge for Ecological Conversion: As part of our commitment to Earth via our Laudato Si’ Action Plan, we are inviting everyone who shares in our charism to explore the spiritual call to ecological conversion with us.
In the 1970s, when I was a child in Japan, local shops used paper bags to pack products. At some point, a propaganda campaign began, warning, “If we keep using paper bags, the forests of Southeast Asia will be completely wiped out!” Before long, paper bags were replaced by plastic ones.
Now, 50 years later, we hear people saying, “Plastic harms the environment, so let’s go back to using paper bags!” Yet no one talks about the forests of Southeast Asia anymore. Did we actually protect those forests by switching to plastic? Looking back, I can’t help but wonder—was that campaign just a way to promote the mass production of plastic, which was taking off at the time?
Today, plastic is treated like the villain. Images of vast amounts of plastic waste floating in the ocean, sea turtles suffering from entanglement—these have become symbols of environmental destruction. But is plastic really the problem, or is it how humans use it? Scientists must have known from the start that plastic is difficult to break down in nature and releases harmful gases when burned. Yet mass production was prioritized, and concerns about recycling and disposal were largely ignored. As a result, environmental destruction and health hazards have become critical issues worldwide.
It’s true that plastic has transformed our lives. The shift from glass bottles to PET bottles made containers lighter and easier to transport safely over long distances. Vacuum packaging and freezing technology have extended the shelf life of food. Today, plastic supports much of our daily existence. So isn’t it time we seriously consider how to coexist with it?
What journey will this plastic item in my hand take from here? How will it be recycled? Perhaps we should appreciate and take responsibility for it until the very end. Let’s support the development of biodegradable materials that don’t release harmful substances and research ways to safely process existing plastic waste.
History repeats itself. Who truly benefits from these shifts? This question applies not only to plastic but to our relationship with modern science and technology as a whole. “What do we use, how do we use it, and how do we dispose of it?” These are questions we must each think through and answer for ourselves.
As you reflect on Chizuru’s observations, let it inspire you to take action.
- How many single-use plastic items do you use in a day? A month? A year?
- How can you take responsibility for the plastic items you consume?
- What are you willing to pay for for biodegradable or reusable alternatives—in both money and convenience?
- Push yourself to find someone with whom you can share your thoughts about your ecological conversion.