Beat plastic pollution this World Environment Day

World Environment Day on June 5is a reminder that people’s actions on plastic pollution matters. It’s time to accelerate this action. It’s time to #BeatPlasticPollution.

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This year, World Environment Day will focus on solutions to the plastic pollution crisis.

The reason is that, humanity produces more than 430 million tonnes of plastic annually. Two-thirds of which are short-lived products that soon become waste, filling the ocean and often working their way into the human food chain.

Llorenç Milà i Canals, Head of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) Life Cycle Initiative, states that, “Many people aren’t aware that a material that is embedded in our daily life can have significant impacts not just on wildlife, but on the climate and on human health.”

While the plastic pollution crisis needs systemic reform, individual choices do make a difference, such as shifting behaviour to avoid single-use plastic products whenever possible.

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If plastic products are unavoidable, they should be reused or repurposed until they can no longer be used at which point, they should be recycled or disposed of properly. Strive to purchase locally sourced and seasonal food options that require less plastic packaging and transport.

World Environment Day is the biggest international day for the environment, led by UNEP and held annually since 1974. The event has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet.

Legislation is vital to tackling the plastics crisis. While solutions must engage every sector, governments need to drive change.

Impose regulations to support the transition to a new plastics economy. Eliminate the plastics we do not need; innovate to ensure the plastics we do need are reusable, recyclable or compostable.

Circulate all the plastic we do use to keep it in the economy and out of the environment.

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Join the movement by sharing UNEP’s World Environment Day assets on social media using the tags #BeatPlasticPollution #WorldEnvironmentDay, and share stories of those who are creating real solutions to plastic pollution.