World Environment Day
World Environment Day
Today we all stand together to mark World Environment Day
And this year we’re celebrating 50 years!
World Environment Day was organised by the United Nations primarily to raise awareness to protect the environment. The theme this year is “Plastic Pollution”, currently trending as #BeatPlasticPollution.
The UN estimates over 400 million tons of plastic are produced globally every year! Half of this is single-use plastics, and less than 10% of that is recycled.
If strong action isn’t taken, plastic waste will expel out of control and is predicted to nearly triple by 2040 -shocking!
IT’S NOT DOOM & GLOOM
From a recent UNEP report plastic pollution could be slashed by 80% by 2040, but that calls for major action from the government and the plastic industry. The report points out that remedial measures would have to be taken NOW and emphasises three major pointers; reuse, recycle, and reorient.
The plastic industry has a crucial role to play, companies could design plastic products that are sustainable and which can stay in circulation for long periods of time, they could also shift their business models from single-use to reusable plastic products. What’s more, they could increase the use of recycled content in new products made, to boost recycling.
WE CAN ALL DO OUR BIT
As individuals, we all have a vital part to play in tackling this global crisis of #PlasticPollution. By making little changes in our everyday life, these can all add up to make a significant difference. This could include switching to plastic-free personal care products, using metal/silicone straws, using bamboo toothbrushes, shopping from sustainable clothing lines and minimising the use of single-use products.
Or perhaps go that one step further and fully adopt a zero-waste lifestyle.
Any positive change will make a huge difference to our world.
Let’s make the change together!
To read more about #WorldEnvironmentDay view the official United Nations website here, for many interesting articles;