Five ways to care for our planet this holiday

This time of year is filled with excitement and Harry, Maropeng’s spokeshominid, is excited too about all the ways we can care for our planet over the holiday.

“While we are enjoying the sun, our gardens, possibly the sea and beach, let’s remember how important it is to care for our planet,” he says.

Here are a five ways Harry says you can make a difference this holiday:

• Recycle your present wrapping, boxes, plastic and glass bottles, etc. If you are having big family gatherings consider putting out different coloured dustbins for guests to throw away their recyclables
• There is always left over food following festive season feasts so why not make good use of it? Instead of just throwing it all in the dustbin, consider starting a compost heap with the fruit, vegetables, eggs shells etc. Remember, too, that there are many hungry people just on our doorstep so find an organisation or charity where you could drop off your unused food
• If you are meeting in a park or public area to celebrate, remember to clean up afterwards. Take along some dustbin bags just in case dustbins are full. Public areas are for everyone to enjoy. Litter not only pollutes the ground and rivers, but spoils the fun for others
• If you are heading to the sea, make sure you keep our beaches clean. Take your litter home with you at the end of the day. Why not make an effort to take a walk and pick up litter each day on the beach? You will be ensuring that that litter won’t end up in the sea, killing our sea life and polluting our waters
• Cut back on your water wastage. We are going through a very bad drought and need to all make an effort to save water. That includes the holiday period. Fix leaky leaky taps and toilets, take shorter showers and run smaller baths, turn off water when brushing your teeth or shaving, and don’t leave the tap running while you are using the soap to wash your hands

“Let’s all remember to appreciate our beautiful planet this holiday and do what we can to keep it clean and healthy. Have a happy holiday!” says Harry.