Today, June 5, is World Environment Day, the biggest international day for the environment. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1974, it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach. It is celebrated by millions of people across the world.
This year, the theme of World Environment Day is “Solutions to Plastic Pollution”. The campaign #BeatPlasticPollution aims to raise awareness and inspire action to reduce the use and disposal of single-use plastics that are harming our planet and our health.
Plastic has become an essential material for our current way of life. The global demand for plastics has quadrupled over the past four decades and is projected to further increase in the future, intensifying the impacts on the environment and human health.
Environmental impacts of (micro)plastics pollution and plastics incineration have been a continuously discussed matter in last two decades. Less attention has been paid to plastics production, which also has substantial environmental impacts, such as those caused by the release of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
According to a report by UNEP and the International Energy Agency (IEA), plastics are responsible for 3.5-4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly every piece of plastic begins as a fossil fuel, and greenhouse gases are emitted at each stage of the plastic lifecycle: 1) fossil fuel extraction and transport, 2) plastic refining and manufacture, 3) managing plastic waste, and 4) plastic’s ongoing impact once it reaches our oceans, waterways, and landscape.
In 2019, the production and incineration of plastic will add more than 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere—equal to the emissions from nearly two-hundred-megawatt coal power plants.
If current trends continue, by 2050, the plastic industry could account for 20% of the world’s total oil consumption and 15% of its annual carbon budget.
The carbon budget is the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that can be emitted while still limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, as agreed by world leaders in the Paris Agreement.
To avoid this scenario, we need to act now and find solutions to plastic pollution. We need to rethink how we produce, use, and dispose of plastics. We need to shift to a circular economy that minimizes waste and maximizes resource efficiency. We need to adopt more sustainable alternatives to plastics, such as biodegradable materials or reusable products. We need to improve waste management systems and recycling infrastructure. We need to support innovation and research on new technologies and materials that can reduce the environmental impact of plastics.
We also need to change our behavior and habits as consumers and citizens. We need to reduce our consumption of single-use plastics, such as bags, bottles, straws, cups, cutlery, etc. We need to choose products that have less or no plastic packaging. We need to reuse or repair items instead of throwing them away. We need to recycle or compost what we cannot reuse. We need to educate ourselves and others about the effects of plastic pollution on our environment and health. We need to join or organize campaigns and events that promote solutions to plastic pollution.
World Environment Day 2023 is a call to action for all of us to beat plastic pollution. It is a reminder that our actions matter. The steps governments and businesses are taking to tackle plastic pollution are the consequence of this action.
Let us all join hands and work together to protect our planet from this threat. Let us all be part of the solution.
Happy World Environment Day!
