World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5, an annual event promoted by the United Nations to raise public awareness of the major global environmental challenges. Individuals, organizations, industries, and governments are called upon to adopt sustainable practices that support systemic change. This year’s focus theme is plastic pollution.
The plastic pollution emergency
Plastic pollution represents one of the most severe and pervasive environmental challenges of our time. By 2025, it is estimated that the world will use around 516 million tonnes of plastic, and if effective measures are not implemented, annual consumption could exceed 1.2 billion tonnes by 2060.
Traces of plastic have been found in the most remote and inaccessible places on the planet — from the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean, to the summit of Mount Everest.
Each year, it is estimated that around 11 million tonnes of plastic end up in aquatic ecosystems, while another 13 million tonnes accumulate in the soil, with devastating consequences for ecosystems.
The impact on human health is also evident: as plastic breaks down, it turns into microplastics and nanoplastics that infiltrate the food chain and can accumulate in human tissues and organs. Recent studies have detected microplastics in vital organs and even in breast milk, raising significant concerns about the long-term effects on public health.
While recycling is important, it alone is not enough to solve the problem. Currently, only 9% of the plastic produced globally is actually recycled. Moreover, it is estimated that only 21% of plastic is economically viable for recycling, underscoring the urgent need for a structural transformation in the way we produce, use, and dispose of plastic materials.
World Environment Day: every action counts!
World Environment Day was established in 1972 by the United Nations General Assembly following the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
During this conference, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was also officially launched, with the aim of promoting international cooperation and addressing major global environmental challenges.
The first official celebration took place in 1974. Each year, governments, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, and citizens collaborate to promote a specific environmental theme, in order to raise awareness about urgent issues such as climate change, pollution, the water crisis, and biodiversity conservation.
Over the past fifty years, World Environment Day has become one of the world’s leading platforms for environmental awareness, mobilizing tens of millions of people through online campaigns and practical activities.
As a company committed to environmental sustainability and offering solutions for efficiency in thermal energy and water measurement and analysis, we join the call of World Environment Day.
To build a more sustainable future for our planet, it is essential to start with small daily changes.
We can, for instance, reduce the use of unnecessary packaging, choose reusable water bottles over single-use plastic ones, opt for bulk and refillable products, and repair items instead of replacing them, avoid disposable containers, learn to recycle properly, and manage waste responsibly: these are concrete actions that make a difference.
You can take part in the #BeatPlasticPollution campaign and even add your own environmentally focused event to the global map and share it with the world.