World Environment Day

The World Environment Day is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and held annually since 1973. it has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach. It is celebrated by millions of people across the world. The Republic of Korea will host World Environment Day 2025 with a focus on ending plastic pollution globally . Ridding the planet of plastic pollution is an important contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, including those on climate action, sustainable production and consumption, protection of seas and oceans and repairing ecosystems and retaining biodiversity. Communities, civil society, businesses, and governments around the world today marked World Environment Day under the theme #BeatPlasticPollution, with official celebrations held in the Republic of Korea’s Jeju Province. Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet. By 2040, plastic leakage to the envi...

Únete a la transmisión #EnVivo de la celebración del Día Mundial del Medio Ambiente 2025. 📅 Fecha: jueves 5 de junio de 2025  ⏰ Hora: 7:30 am #SinContaminaciónPorPlásticos

Plastic pollution permeates every corner of the planet—even in our bodies in the form of microplastics. World Environment Day 2025 calls for collective action to tackle plastic pollution. By drawing inspiration from nature and showcasing real-world solutions, the campaign will encourage individuals, organizations, industries, and governments to adopt sustainable practices that drive systemic change. Join the World Environment Day celebrations on 5 June !

“By 2040, plastic leakage to the environment is predicted to grow 50%,” warns UNEP's Ms.  andersen_inger . But it doesn’t have to be this way. This #WorldEnvironmentDay , she urges unity to rethink how we make, use and reuse plastics , as the  works on a #PlasticsTreaty to #BeatPlasticPollution .

Around 13 million tonnes of plastics accumulate into the soil annually. We can all do better to #BeatPlasticPollution ! Join in this #WorldEnvironmentDay .

How to raise awareness about plastic pollution and showcase real-world solutions to encourage individuals, organizations, industries, and governments to adopt sustainable practices that drive systemic change. Lear more about the  Ways to Live More Sustainably

This year for  World Environment Day 2025, we are proud to recognize Toronto as the North American Host City. As a leader in urban sustainability , Toronto exemplifies how cities can drive innovative and impactful solutions to Beat Plastic Pollution . The  city of toronto

Visualize the campaign material of the World Environment Day ; Please contact bingying.liu@un.org for billboard templates.

Plastic is in more places than we realize. While we’re aware of the usual suspects like straws or bags, many everyday things quietly contain this material. Ahead of #WorldEnvironmentDay , check out these 10 unexpected items hiding plastic in plain sight .

Bring your own bag, Carry a reusable bottle, Refuse Plastic straws, Store leftovers in glass containers, Switch to a bamboo toothbrush, Use a shampoo bar... On June 5th , join the global call to #BeatPlasticPollution !  With 11 million tonnes of plastic leaking into water ecosystems yearly, it’s time to rethink, reduce, and refuse . This  World Environment Day  will be hosted by the Republic of Korea

Get the activation kit ! Add a photo or video of your favorite place in nature — a forest, a beach, a mountain, or even your neighborhood park. There are no limits! Write a short note or caption. (e.g.: “It’s time to #BeatPlasticPollution to give nature space to breathe.) Don’t forget to use these hashtags: #WorldEnvironmentDay , #BeatPlasticPollution and mention us: @‌UNEP Post it on your feed and keep the chain going! Head to UNEP’s Instagram stories for a special “add yours” activation.

Every year, 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwid e, according to the UN. Half of this plastic is designed to be used only once, and only 10 per cent is recycled. Between 19 and 23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems annually, and without urgent action, this figure is expected to rise by 50 per cent by 2040. Plastic pollution is contaminating every corner of the planet, threatening ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. Microplastics are found in food, water and air, with the average person estimated to ingest over 50,000 plastic particles each year , and far more when inhalation is included. If the climate crisis goes unaddressed, with plastic pollution as a major driver, air pollution levels exceeding safe thresholds could rise by 50 per cent within a decade. Meanwhile, plastic pollution in marine and freshwater environments may triple by 2040. Global action day To rally momentum, the UN Environment Programme ( UNEP ) is leading the 52nd a...

Waste pickers collect 60% of the world’s plastic waste —yet many lack rights, health insurance, or safe working conditions. The world must ensure a Just Transition that values their role to Beat Plastic Pollution.

Understanding the full life cycle of plastics —from production to disposal—is essential for developing effective strategies to Beat Plastic Pollution. Ahead of  June 5th , World Environment Day ; Let's  discover how data is helping cities in tackling this crisis .

The recipe for Ending the plastic pollution crisis is a process known as circularity . But how can the world embrace it? Ahead of World Environment Day on June 5th , this Q&A looks at the role green skills can play in driving real change :

If the global community can deliver, plastic pollution could fall by 80% by 2040. Analyzing the situation. First, there are stark negative economic costs of plastic pollution , running in the hundreds of USD billions annually, destroying infrastructure, impacting energy production and tourism revenue, clogging our drains and flooding our cities, and potentially impacting human health through exposure to hazardous chemicals. Second, the starting point for change is to eliminate unnecessary and problematic plastics. Three shifts are then required: accelerating the market for reusable products, accelerating the recycling market, and reorienting and diversifying the market for sustainable and safe plastic alternatives. Third, we need to take a full life-cycle approach to plastics – by rethinking every stage from the design of products and systems, plastic production, use, recovery and disposal. Redesign of packaging, systems and products is crucial. Chemical engineers and manufacturers ha...

June 5 is World Environment Day , and this year is all about collective action to #BeatPlasticPollution . Join us to build a healthier, cleaner future for all!

The observance of the World Environment Day is around the corner; Join millions worldwide in taking action to end plastic pollution . Get involved!

Plastic pollution is a threat to the environment and our health. But it's not too late to act . Join the #BeatPlasticPollution movement!

We need to think big. It means: Reducing our dependence on single use plastics . Redesigning plastic products so that they last longer. Preventing plastic waste from seeping into the environment. Finding alternatives to plastic in a range of product.

Because it's skyrocketing. If we don't act now , plastic waste will nearly triple by 2060, hitting one billion tonnes a year. 

 Nations are now negotiating a global treaty to end plastic pollution .

No. Only about 9% of plastics are actually recycled . 

It wreaks havoc on ecosystems . Microplastics have been found in human body. Learn more about plastic pollution .  

 Nearly everywhere in the environment , in lakes, rivers, oceans , city streets and farmlands, even on Mount Everest and in the Mariana Trench. Learn about the solutions to beat plastic pollution .

Single use plastic products . They overwhelm waste systems and enter The environment . 

  A lot. Researchers estimate that humanity has produced 9.2 billion tonnes of materials since the 50s with 7 billion of tonnes now wasted.

Last year alone, the world generated around 400 million tonnes of plastic waste. Ahead of June 5th ,  World Environment Day , here’s a closer look at what plastic pollution is, why it’s such a problem, and what can be done about it. Answering 10 pressing questions about plastic pollution .

There are up to 359 trillion of Microplastics in the sea. The Global Plastic Treaty is an international agreement currently being negotiated by around 175 countries to end plastic pollution at every stage of the material's lifecycle , from manufacturing to disposal

Yes, countries of the world are negotiating an international, legally binding agreement to end plastic pollution . Learn more about the  Global Plastics Treaty  

Yes, Microplastics can make the soil less fertile, hampering harvests , and slow the growth of microscopic marine life ; interfering with the aquatic food web.

 First, companies can stop adding unnecessary microplastics to products. It's also important to redesign product so they contain less plastic and shed fewer plastic fibres . Bolstering waste collection and recycling system would help.

Very common, They are found in water, soil and the air . It's probably safe to say that microplastics are just about everywhere.

They can enter our bodies through Ingestion and inhalation . Microplastics have been found in our arteries.

The primary microplastics are intentionally meant to be small. But most of them come from the slow disintegration of larger plastics products . They are know as secondary microplastics.  Let's  Define Primary and Secondary Microplastics .

They are defined as any fragment of plastic that is between 1 nanometer and 5 millimetres wide.

Microplastics are everywhere — from the ocean floor to Mount Everest, and even in our bodies. But what are they, why should we care, and what can we do about them? Ahead of June 5th , World Environment Day , swipe to discover more.

Plastics bring undeniable benefits – from energy savings to material conservation. Yet, the growing crisis of plastic pollution threatens both planetary and human well-being. For decades, plastic pollution has infiltrated every corner of the world – contaminating the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe. Microplastics are now even found in our bodies. This World Environment Day , we are mobilizing communities across the globe to implement and advocate for lasting solutions to #BeatPlasticPollution. Change happens through all of us. The choices we make can shape industries, shift markets and redefine our collective future . Together, we can deliver an end to plastic pollution that protects people and the planet.

  The rewards of fixing plastic pollution are profound: cleaner oceans and lands, healthier people and ecosystems, greater climate resilience, and stronger economies. A circular economy for plastics offers a sustainable path forward. This means we need to rethink how we design, make, use and reuse plastics . Products must be designed to be used more than once, and to be recycled at the end of their life. This shift must include all stakeholders across  The plastics value chain. A just transition is crucial to protect the livelihoods of waste pickers and impacted communities , ensuring social equity and leaving no one behind. Learn more about Plastic pollution .

In 2022, at the UN Environment Assembly , Member States agreed to begin negotiations on an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution , including in the marine environment. Since then, countries have met at five sessions of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) on Plastic Pollution to work towards an agreement. Now in the third year of negotiations, the second part of the fifth session of the INC ( INC-5.2 ) will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 5 to 14 August 2025. This marks a critical turning point—a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure a global treaty that redefines our relationship with plastics   and to safeguard human and environmental health .

In 2025, 516 million tonnes of plastics are consumed by the world. By 2060, forecast shows that over 1.2 billion tonnes of plastic will be consumed annually .  

Plastic pollution is present everywhere, from the Mariana Trench (deepest ocean point) to Mount Everest (highest mountain peak). An estimated 11 million tonnes of plastics leak into aquatic ecosystems  each year. Around 13 million tonnes of plastics accumulate into the soil annually .  

Plastics break down into Microplastics and nanoplastics , which can enter the food chain and cause adverse health impacts. Microplastics have been found in human arteries , lungs , brains —and even in breast milk.