Saving the Planet Discussion Topics

Our saving the planet discussion topics accompany the book, Spid the Spider Helps Save the Planet. In the story, Spid is horrified to discover that someone has thrown litter in his garden. He then realises that litter is not just a problem for him, but for the whole planet. So he decides to do something about it …

These discussion topics will help your children think about and better understand the effect of litter on our planet. This discussion may be usefully held after reading Spid’s adventure, and looking at our litter cycle poster.

What do you think happens to litter?

Littering implies careless and improper disposal of rubbish. Examples of litter include food packaging, household goods, paper, plastic bottles, and cigarette ends. Littering can also be considered as a thoughtless action by self-centred individuals. These are people who do only what is convenient for themselves without concern for other people or the environment.

There are many negative consequences of litter:

• it is an eyesore
• it is a health risk; tripping or falling onto broken glass or sharp metal cans risks cuts, loss of blood and even loss of life
• it is also a breeding ground for bacteria and a cause of disease
• it can enter drains and waterways, and eventually seas
• cleaning up costs money and creates a burden on tax payers
• while some rubbish that is cleared away can be recycled, much goes to landfill, where it emits methane as it decays, or carbon dioxide (if burned). Thus contributing to ‘the greenhouse effect’ and climate change
• it triggers urban decay, social problems, and unrest

Why is plastic bad for the environment?

Plastic takes time to decay, and through erosion, turns to microplastics (small plastic particles).

Plastic pollution can alter habitats and natural processes, thus reducing ecosystems’ ability to adapt to climate change, directly affecting millions of people’s livelihoods, food production capabilities and social well-being. Microplastics can also be consumed through seas, waterways and water supplies thus affecting animal and human health.

What can we do to make changes?

The United Nations Environmental Programme believes that we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic pollution crisis. According to Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director; “We need a systemic transformation that drastically reduces the flow of virgin plastics to achieve the transition to a circular economy.”

The UNEP outlines four strategic goals to:

1. Reduce the size of the plastic problem: Eliminate and substitute unnecessary or problematic plastics and hazardous additives and accelerate the market for reusable products.
2. Design for circularity: Ensure that plastic products are designed to be circular (ie., reusable, recyclable, or compostable).
3. Ensure cicularity in practice: Close the loop of plastic in the economy by ensuring plastic products are circulated in practice (i.e. they are reused, recycled, or composted).
4. Deal with the legacy: Manage plastic waste that cannot be reused or recycled in an environmentally sound manner.

You can also support Spid’s campaign to help save the planet and save our species at change.org.  This champions a number of more specific actions that Governments of the world could implement to save the planet.