Hyderabad: While a third of the over 400 million tons of plastic produced worldwide is used just once, as much as 2,000 garbage truckloads of plastic is being dumped into the earth's water bodies, said United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his World Environment Day message.
2,000 truckloads daily- “Every day, the equivalent of over 2,000 garbage trucks full of plastic is dumped into our oceans, rivers, and lakes,” he said. Guterres said “microplastics are finding their way into the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe.” “Plastic is made from fossil fuels – the more plastic we produce, the more fossil fuel we burn, and the worse we make the climate crisis,” he added.
We have solutions- According to the UN chief, the solutions including the legally binding agreement that remains on course, following five days of negotiations involving more than 130 nations last week, are at hand. “This is a promising first step, but we need all hands-on deck,” Guterres said.
Also read- World Environment Day 2023: Beat Plastic Pollution
Referring to a new report from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), Guterres said the study shows that plastic pollution can be reduced by a staggering 80 per cent by 2040 – if humankind acts now to reuse, recycle, and pivot away from plastics. “We must work as one – governments, companies, and consumers alike – to break our addiction to plastics, champion zero waste, and build a truly circular economy. Together, let us shape a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all,” he said.
Annual plastic dump weighs as much as 2,200 Eiffel Towers- The statement said the statistics for the damage caused by plastics are daunting. An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas annually - approximately the weight of 2,200 Eiffel Towers. More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year worldwide, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled, according to UN figures.
Plastic on menu- Scientists define plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter as microplastics. They find their way into everything we consume and breathe. It is estimated that each person on the planet consumes more than 50,000 plastic particles per year –and many more if inhalation is considered. Discarded or burnt single-use plastic harms human health and biodiversity and pollutes every ecosystem from mountain tops to the ocean floor, the UN statement said.
The UN urged the governments, companies and other stakeholders must scale up and speed actions to solve this crisis using the available science and solutions to tackle the problem. It also underscored the importance of World Environment Day “in mobilizing transformative action from every corner of the world.”
