These years world environment day is a call to fight plastic pollution, said Secretary General UN, António Guterres. In fact, he calls on the international community to work together to “create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future for all” and “to work as one – governments, companies and consumers – to get rid of our dependence on plastic, fight for zero waste and build a truly zero waste system.” “. economy”.

Describing the dramatic picture of plastic pollution that has developed today, António Guterres notes that more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced annually worldwide, a third of which is used only once. “Every day, the equivalent of more than 2,000 garbage trucks filled with plastic are dumped into our oceans, rivers and lakes. The consequences are devastating. Microplastics end up in the food we eat, the water we drink and the air we breathe. Plastic is made from fossil fuels – the more plastic we produce, the more fossil fuels we burn and the worse the climate crisis,” he notes.

Further, the Secretary General focuses on the decisions that were submitted. “Last year, the global community began negotiations for a legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution. This is a promising first step, but we must all be prepared. A new United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) report shows we can cut plastic pollution by 80% by 2040 if we act now to reuse, recycle, redirect and diversify plastic.”

Source: RES-IPE

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