World Environment Day 2023
Today, June 5, 2023, is World Environment Day.
The UN Environment Program (UNEP) has been celebrating World Environment Day on this day every year.
The decision to celebrate this day was taken by the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment held in 1972, and a year later, in 1973, the first World Environment Day was celebrated. This year marks the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day celebrations.
Everything around us, while living and non-living, interacts with each other to maintain our environment.
Environments evolve to maintain a balanced co-existence. Climate balance is disturbed when one or more elements expand out of control.
This year’s World Environment Day theme is “Beat Plastic Pollution,” it has been shared with the social media hashtag #BeatPlasticPollution. The theme for World Environment Day 2023 is to beat plastic pollution under the #BeatPlasticPollution campaign. The solution has drawn global attention.
Currently, plastic pollution is going beyond human control. Urgent steps are needed to replace plastic materials by environment-friendly materials.
The West African country of Ivory Coast is the host country of World Environment Day 2023, and the Netherlands is its partner this year. Ivory Coast has already banned plastic bags.
According to the United Nations, 400 million metric tons of plastic are produced yearly. Fifty percent is from single-use plastic items such as water bottles, juice bottles, plastic bags, etc., and only 9 percent is recycled.
Where is so much plastic waste coming from?
About 36% of the total plastic waste is generated from the packaging industry in the consumer goods industry. Such plastic waste causes environmental damage worth US$ 75 billion every year.
Annually, 12.50 million tons of plastic waste come from producing plants and animals (animals, birds, fish, etc.). Annually, 37.50 million tons of plastic waste are generated from the food processing and packaging industries.
Cosmetics, especially beauty products such as high-quality soaps, shampoos, shower gels, face washes, body lotions, beauty creams, etc., also produce large amounts of microplastics. Using all these products, at least 100,000 microplastics are mixed with water in one person’s shower.
Single-use plastic products are almost exclusively made from fossil fuels, and global plastic production accounts for 3.4% of greenhouse gas emissions.
About 60% of the material used in making clothes is plastic. There are 5,00,000 tones of microplastics disposed of annually due to the dyeing and washing of garments alone. Tonnes of plastic waste end up in ocean water.
Can self-sustainable plastic waste be followed?
Where does this plastic waste go?
About 9% of plastic waste produced is recycled, 17% is incinerated, 46% is sent to waste treatment plants (Landfilled), and 22% remains uncollected and mismanaged.
Plastic waste is causing many problems, such as blocking water drainage and polluting the environment. It also reduces the amount of trees and agricultural land available and harms marine life.
All the plastic wastes that go into the sea are becoming microplastics in the flow of time. Microplastics released from the industrial sector and used cosmetics also enter the sea and mix with the seawater. Seawater microplastics enter our bodies through sea fish and salt, causing severe health problems.
So, what is less known is that microplastics are mixed in the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe. Many plastic products contain dangerous additives, which can threaten our health.
Microplastics get into our bodies through breathing, eating, drinking, and into our bloodstream. Chemical additives in plastic can cause endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, diabetes, obesity, asthma, neurodevelopmental defects, and even cancer.
They accumulate over time in our organs, especially our lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen. Everything around us, while living and non-living, interacts with each other to maintain our environment.
Environments evolve to maintain a balanced co-existence. Climate balance is disturbed when one or more elements expand out of control.
These plastic products are scattered all over the world and are damaging the environment. The whole world, from Antarctica to the North Pole, is polluted with plastic waste. Even at Mount Everest’s peak, plastic waste can be found.
On March 2, 2022, 175 member states of the United Nations signed a resolution adopted by the United Nations Environment Council to end plastic pollution in the world, based on which a legally binding agreement will be drawn up by 2024.
“Plastic pollution and its harmful effects on health, the economy, and the environment cannot be ignored,” said Dutch Environment Minister Vivian Heijn.
Urgent measures are needed to prevent this pollution. At the same time, we need true, effective, and robust solutions,” he said.
“Plastic pollution and its harmful effects on health, the economy, and the environment cannot be ignored,” said Dutch Environment Minister Vivian Heijn. Urgent measures are needed to prevent this pollution. At the same time, we need true, effective, and strong solutions,” he said.
Government, commercial, and personal use initiatives should be taken to stop or reduce plastic waste (Beat Plastic Pollution).
In particular, the production, storage, marketing and use of single-use plastic products must be replaced with biodegradable or reusable products. In contrast to our daily single-use plastic products, the biodegradable or recyclable eco-friendly products mentioned below will gradually reduce the use of plastic materials, as a result of which the production of plastic waste will continue to decrease.
