Dr. Vivak M Arya, Dr. Vikas Sharma
The world is facing a global plastic catastrophe. Out of the 8.3 billion tons of plastics produced since the 1950s, 79% ended in landfills or leaked into the environment. From the Mariana trench to Mt. Everest, there is nearly no place on Earth which is left untouched by plastic pollution. Plastic waste is now so everywhere in the natural environment that scientists have even suggested it could serve as a geological indicator of the Anthropocene era. The fight against plastic pollution is being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the use of disposable masks, gloves and other protective equipment increases. Since 1974, the celebration campaign of the world environment day is hosted in different cities of the world. It is a big annual celebration started by the United Nations General Assembly to unite millions of people from different countries across the globe. World Environment Day which is observed on 5th June every year across the globe is the largest annual event for positive environmental action. The Day has developed into a global platform for taking action on urgent environmental issues, driving change in our consumption habits as well as influencing national and international policy. “Solutions to Plastic Pollution” the theme for World Environment Day 2023, is a call to action for all of us to come together to combat one of the great environmental challenges of our time. Chosen by this year’s host, Netherlands, the theme of World Environment Day 20023 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. While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become over reliant on single-use or disposable plastic with severe environmental consequences. Few of the alarming figures by global plastic pollution are: In 1950 the world produced only 2 million tonnes per year. Since then, annual production has increased nearly 230-fold, reaching 460 million tonnes in 2019. In total, half of all plastic produced is designed for single-use purposes – used just once and then thrown away. The plastic that ends up in the oceans can circle the Earth four times in a single year and it can persist for up to 1,000 years before it fully disintegrates. Plastic also makes its way into our water supply – and thus into our bodies. Plastics can also serve as a attraction for other pollutants, including dioxins, metals and pesticides. Nearly one third of the plastic packaging we use escapes collection systems, which means that it ends up clogging our city streets and polluting our natural environment. From longstanding to emerging hazards, environmental factors are a root cause of a significant burden of death, disease and disability globally and particularly in developing countries. They range from poor water quality and access, vector-borne disease and air pollution to toxic chemical exposures, climate change and degraded urban environments.
The theme of World Environment Day 2023 in India is Mission LiFE, which aims to encourage people to adopt sustainable lifestyle practices to protect the environment. The concept of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister of India at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. He called for a global effort to adopt sustainable lifestyle practices, and since then, India has been mobilizing people to embrace LiFE.. India’s emergence as a global environmental leader has been affirmed to the world in recent years. Indian philosophy and lifestyle has long been rooted in the concept of co-existence with nature. Being a developing nation, India is more vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to its dependence on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and forestry. The rapid economic growth experienced by India over the past decade and a half has come with some unwelcome consequences.
To beat plastic pollution, we need to entirely rethink our approach to designing, producing and using plastic products. This World Environment Day, the goal is to inspire the kind of solutions that lead to sustainable behavior change upstream. Plastic pollution is a defining environmental challenge for our time. In the next 10-15 years global plastic production is projected to nearly double. Avoiding the worst of these outcomes demands a complete rethinking of the way we produce, use and manage plastic. Policymakers and governments must safeguard precious environmental resources and indeed public health by encouraging sustainable production and consumption through legislation. Governments must lead, enacting strong policies that push for a more circular model of design and production of plastics. Citizens must act as both consumers and informed citizens, demanding sustainable products and embracing sensible consumption habits in their own lives. The existing environmental laws, although cover a wide spectrum of environmental concerns, they seem to be ineffective due to lack of enforcement. Governments can deliver a strong deal to end plastic pollution. Businesses can show innovation and commitment to move away from virgin plastics – starting immediately. The financial sector can put its capital behind the transformation. International Financial Institutions and other large investors need to move significant investments towards solid waste management and collection systems, which must include recycling and organics. At last we want to quote Franklin D. Roosevelt “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” unquote.
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