The severity of plastic pollution affects every living being on Earth. This year's World Environment Day accentuates the pledge to tackle the plastic menace, which was outlined five years ago.
The theme for World Environment Day 2023 is “Solutions to plastic pollution” under the campaign “Beat plastic pollution”-- a call to action for all of us to take steps towards reducing our plastic consumption and thereby reducing disposal of plastic goods.
The United Nations first called the world in 2018 through the “Beat plastic pollution” theme to take immediate actions. The UN call and actions from a multitude of agencies, groups, and individuals are still far from meaningfully controlling the plastic menace. The world has yet miles to go to bring a meaningful change which is crucial to instil a responsible culture for plastics use in everyday human life.
Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually on June 5 since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach. This day was established after recognising the need to spread the message of environmental protection, encouraging people, leaders, and policymakers to think of appropriate solutions for environmental preservation.
West African country Ivory Coast is the host of this year's World Environment Day, supported by the Netherlands. This year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the global day.
Plastic pollution has become a serious threat to our oceans, wildlife, and human health -- people all over the world now depend on plastic for daily use. But almost one-third of it is not disposed of properly and ends up clogging drains and polluting water, soil, and even the air, as plastic packets are often used as an alternative to fuel wood among low-income urban communities living in the slums.
As reported by the UNEP, global plastic production has risen exponentially in the last few decades. The amount is about 400 million tons per year. Merely 9% of the produced plastic goods source raw materials from recycled materials, leaving the 91% to be disposed of in landfills, or in the open environment. According to another grim estimation, flows of plastic wastes into aquatic ecosystems will nearly triple from around 11 million tons in 2016 to around 29 million tons in 2040.
Plastic can persist in the environment for nearly a thousand years before it fully disintegrates. As plastic is mostly produced from fossil fuels of oil and gas, the threat to the environment can be easily understood. The UN says greenhouse gas emissions caused by plastic could account for 19% of the Paris Agreement's total allowable emissions in 2040 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) statistics show GHG emissions from the plastics lifecycle will more than double between 2019 and 2060. In 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion tons of GHG emissions. It is 3.4% of global emissions.
According to a 2021 report by the World Bank, Bangladesh is one of the top countries in terms of plastic pollution, with inadequate plastic waste management being a major contributor. The annual per capita plastic consumption in Dhaka alone is a staggering 22.25kg.
The major problem is the arbitrary use of single-use plastics. According to data from UNEP, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute while a whopping five trillion plastic bags are used every year. The use-and-throw nature of many classes of plastic products, never degrade and are only capable of becoming ever smaller particles.
So, how will we move forward against plastic pollution?
Recycling is the most effective solution for beating plastic pollution. We need to take action to produce and consume less plastic, recycle more, and support innovations to improve plastic waste reduction systems and effort to instil change in consumer behaviour.
The government has already taken steps to address plastic pollution, including enacting the Plastic Products (Regulation and Control) Act in 2019, which imposes restrictions on the production, import, sale, and use of certain single-use plastic products.
Taking this into account, the government as well as private and development organizations are taking initiatives to tackle plastic pollution. For instance, development organisation BRAC in 2019 banned single-use plastics on all its (around 3000) office premises across Bangladesh. It has also formed a carbon footprint reduction management committee in 2021 with an aim to reduce carbon emissions within the organisation.
As responsible members of society, we can all make simple lifestyle changes such as carrying reusable bags, water bottles, and straws, avoiding single-use plastic products, supporting businesses that prioritise sustainability, and properly recycling plastic wastes.
By collectively taking action, we can create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet for ourselves and future generations. Let's make World Environment Day 2023 a day of action and commitment towards a plastic-free future.
Md Liakath Ali is Director of the Climate Change, Urban Development, and Disaster Risk Management Program at BRAC.