It’s World Environment Day and this year the spotlight is on finding solutions to plastic pollution – #BeatPlasticPollution.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says we can beat plastic pollution if we act now. ‘This World Environment Day is a call to beat plastic pollution. Every year over 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced worldwide, one third of which is used just once.
Every day the equivalent of over 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic dumped
‘Every day, the equivalent of over 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into our oceans, rivers and lakes. The consequences are catastrophic.
‘Microplastics find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.
Mr Guterres says plastics is made from fossil fuels. ‘The more plastic we produce, the more fossil fuel we burn, and the worst we make the climate crisis.
A legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution
Mr Guterres that now, we have solutions. ‘Last year the global community began negotiating a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution. This is a promising first step, but we need all hands on deck.’
A new report by the UN Environment Programme shows that we can reduce plastic pollution by 80 per cent by 2040 if we act now to reuse, recycle, reorient and diversify away from plastics.
Mr Guterres says we must work as one. ‘Governments, companies and consumers. We need to break our addiction to plastics, champion zero waste and build a truly circular economy.
‘Together, Let us share a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all.’
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