World Environment Day is the UN’s flagship day for promoting awareness and action for the environment. It is a rallying call to action for individuals, for organisations and for the wider community to reduce the impact of plastic pollution on our natural environment, wildlife and our own health.
According to UN statistics, 500 billion plastic bags are used each year and 90% of bottled water is found to contain plastic particles. Worryingly, global plastic production is projected to nearly double over the next 10-15 years. While plastic bag bans in close to 100 countries are having a big impact, more needs to be done at the design stage to reduce global reliance on plastics.
India will serve as this year's host and there are massive plastic cleanups planned throughout the country, including one scheduled to last an impressive 12 hours. One state within India is even working plastic collection into its religious rites, asking thousands of people to collect trash on an 18-mile walk to reach a sacred temple in the mountains. Across the world in Peru, they're preaching a "trash is not garbage" philosophy and using dozens of plastic bottles to make ponchilas, a backpack and poncho concept for kids.
"To beat plastic pollution, we need to entirely rethink our approach to designing, producing, and using plastic products," the World Environment Day website reads. "There are so many things that we can do—from asking the restaurants you frequent to stop using plastic straws, to bringing your own coffee mug to work, to pressuring your local authorities to improve how they manage your city’s waste."
Read the original article on mindbodygreen.com.
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