“Beat Plastic Pollution”, the theme for World Environment Day 2018, is a call to action for all of us to come together to combat one of the great environmental challenges of our time. The theme invites us all to consider how we can make changes in our everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on our natural places, our wildlife – and our own health.
Global Plastic Pollution by the Numbers:
• Up to 5 trillion plastic bags used each year
• 13 million tonnes of plastic leak into the ocean each year
• 17 million barrels of oil used on plastic production each year
• 1 million plastic bottles bought every minute
• 100,000 marine animals killed by plastics each year
• 100 years for plastic to degrade in the environment
• 90% of bottled water found to contain plastic particles
• 83% of tap water found to contain plastic particles
• 50% of consumer plastics are single use
• 10% of all human-generated waste is plastic
In the next 10-15 years global plastic production is projected to nearly double and is a defining environmental challenge for our time. Join us in the challenge to work towards reducing our one-time use plastic usage.
Continue reading on ways to beat plastic pollution:
• From fungus foam to pineapple pleather: 5 plastic alternatives to watch
• The missing science: Could our addiction to plastic be poisoning us?
• Latin America and the Caribbean bids good-bye to plastic bags
• This Mayan village is winning the fight against plastic pollution
• You’re it! Plastic pollution tag takes off
