Public urged not to use disposable plastic utensils

MANILA, Philippines—Environment Secretary Ramon Paje appealed to the public on Thursday to reduce the use of plastic utensils and containers made of plastic or polystyrene foam during the holidays and other celebrations.

“There is no stopping us in merry-making this holiday season.  Christmas will always be the most awaited event in our Christian life, and food is always one of the most important ingredients that make gatherings enjoyable,” Paje said in a statement.

He reminded party-goers to think about the impact of their activities on the environment and find ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

“There are definitely a thousand ways that we could do to help Mother Earth recover from its ailing health—from tree growing and gardening to using recyclable bags to wrap our gifts, to car pooling to save gas,  to not lighting a fireworks this coming New Year so as not to add to air pollution,” Paje said.