Latest news with #BeatPlasticPollution
The National
32 minutes ago
- Business
- The National
World Environment Day 2025 focuses on ending plastic pollution
Communities, businesses and governments around the world observed World Environment Day on Thursday with more than 2,500 events globally. The theme for 2025 - #BeatPlasticPollution - calls for collective action to tackle the issue. The annual social and environmental cost of plastic pollution ranges from US$300 billion to US$600 billion, according to the United Nations Environment Programme. It said that by 2040, plastic leakage to the environment is predicted to grow by 50 per cent, and that pollution enters our bodies through food, water and the air we breathe. The World Environment Day ceremony was held in Jeju, South Korea. International leaders, including UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the planet. In his message for World Environment Day, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: 'Plastic waste clogs rivers, pollutes the ocean, and endangers wildlife. And as it breaks down into smaller and smaller parts, it infiltrates every corner of Earth: from the top of Mount Everest to the depths of the ocean; from human brains to human breastmilk.' 'Yet there is a movement for urgent change. We are seeing mounting public engagement, steps towards reusability and greater accountability and policies to reduce single-use plastics and improve waste management. But we must go further, faster,' he added.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Climate
- Time of India
NDMC to launch intense tree planting drive during monsoon
New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is set to start its intensive tree planting drive in early July, coinciding with the monsoon. The initiative aims to plant 2,039 trees and roughly 4.82 lakh shrubs during the financial year throughout NDMC's jurisdiction. Officials said the 2025 targets were established following a comprehensive assessment that identified locations where trees were uprooted or damaged along avenue roads as well as areas requiring additional green cover. "While the planting will be carried out during the peak monsoon, it will continue later as well," an official said. "In July only, we aim to plant 914 saplings of indigenous trees and 9,28781 shrubs. While planting saplings at the sites of uprooted trees, we first make beds at the kuccha portion on the backside and plant multiple saplings on this stretch. Considering other trees on such patches are also old, we make sure that the new plantation is prepared by the time other trees are damaged or uprooted, and a huge space is not created," the official added. Some of the patches where planting is planned for July are Tolstoy Marg, Radial Road 1-7 and the outer circle of Connaught Place, Mandir Marg, Bhair Veer Singh Marg, Talkatora Garden, Firozshah Road, Jantar Mantar Road, Copernicus Marg, Akbar Road, Motilal Nehru Marg, Nehru Park, Malcha Marg, Commonwealth Game Park, Sanjay Jheel Park, Lodhi Road (Jor Bagh Site), Malcha Marg Colony parks and surrounding areas, Brigadier Hosiyan Singh Marg and Moti Bagh. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo The horticulture department also makes a simultaneous effort to prune trees, treat damaged portions of diseased trees, and balance the canopy so that the chances of the tree falling during heavy rain decrease. "We have one tree ambulance in place, but to accelerate the work in the peak season, we have made temporary arrangements for three more trucks.... During the ongoing one week-one road drive, wherein concentrated effort is being made to develop all infra facilities on one road, we do pruning, etc. , as well," an official said. To commemorate World Environment Day and foster environmental awareness, NDMC chairman Keshav Chandra planted a sapling of Lagerstroemia (Pride of India) at Nehru Park, Chanakyapuri, on Thursday. He also said that the theme for World Environment Day is Beat Plastic Pollution, and a three-day Recycle Mela at three sites — Connaught Place, Khan Market and Malcha Market was organised this week.
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Science
- Express Tribune
Japanese scientists develop plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours
Listen to article Researchers in Japan have developed a plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours, offering up a potential solution for a modern-day scourge polluting oceans and harming wildlife. While scientists have long experimented with biodegradable plastics, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo say their new material breaks down much more quickly and leaves no residual trace. At a lab in Wako city near Tokyo, the team demonstrated a small piece of plastic vanishing in a container of salt water after it was stirred up for about an hour. While the team has not yet detailed any plans for commercialisation, project lead Takuzo Aida said their research has attracted significant interest, including from those in the packaging sector. Scientists worldwide are racing to develop innovative solutions to the growing plastic waste crisis, an effort championed by awareness campaigns such as World Environment Day, taking place on June 5. Plastic pollution is set to triple by 2040, the UN Environment Programme has predicted, adding 23-37 million metric tons of waste into the world's oceans each year. "Children cannot choose the planet they will live on. It is our duty as scientists to ensure that we leave them with the best possible environment," Aida said. Aida said the new material is as strong as petroleum-based plastics but breaks down into its original components when exposed to salt. Those components can then be further processed by naturally occurring bacteria, thereby avoiding generating microplastics that can harm aquatic life and enter the food chain. As salt is also present in soil, a piece about five centimetres (two inches) in size disintegrates on land after over 200 hours, he added. The material can be used like regular plastic when coated, and the team is focusing their current research on the best coating methods, Aida said. The plastic is non-toxic, non-flammable, and does not emit carbon dioxide, he added. The discovery was announced just ahead of World Environment Day, marked annually on June 5th, with this year's theme once again focusing on Beat Plastic Pollution. The global observance highlights the urgent need for action to reduce plastic waste, which continues to pose significant threats to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. This year's theme reinforces the growing push for sustainable alternatives and solutions to combat the widespread environmental damage caused by plastic pollution. As part of the global effort, World Environment Day aims to raise awareness about the devastating impact of plastic waste and encourages governments, businesses, and individuals to take proactive steps to address the issue. With plastic pollution becoming one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, this year's observance is a timely reminder of the collective responsibility to preserve the planet for future generations.
News18
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News18
World Environment Day: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis, Celebs Unveil Anti-Plastic Campaign
Last Updated: This year, the theme for World environment Day is "Beat Plastic Pollution". On the occasion of World Environment Day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis along with other celebrities attended the unveiling of Tik Tik Plastic 3.0 Campaign in Mumbai. Tik Tik Plastic 3.0 Campaign is a public awareness initiative aimed at eliminating plastic pollution in Mumbai. This year, the theme for World environment Day is 'Beat Plastic Pollution'. 1/8 Bollywood actor Ajay Devgn serves as the campaign ambassador. Earlier, he attended the launch event of the campaign. (Image: Viral Bhayani)
Mint
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
World Environment Day 2025: The world unites to heal Earth with massive plantation and clean-up drives
World Environment Day 2025: The world unites to heal Earth with massive plantation and clean-up drives| In Photos 6 Photos . Updated: 05 Jun 2025, 01:22 PM IST Share Via Every year on June 5th, the world comes together to observe World Environment Day. In 2025, the occasion turned into a global movement as massive sapling plantations and clean-up drives were launched in support of the theme Beat Plastic Pollution. 1/6Prime Minister Narendra Modi plants a banyan sapling at Bhagwan Mahavir Vanasthali Park as part of the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative on the occasion of World Environment Day, in New Delhi. (PMO) 2/6Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni greets Prime Minister Hun Manet as National Assembly President Khuon Sudary looks on during an event celebrating Cambodia's Environment Day. (AFP) 3/6Costumed environmental activists participate in a demonstration outside the ADB headquarters in Mandaluyong on World Environment Day, urging the development of community-led renewable energy projects. (AFP) 4/6Volunteers take part in a beach cleanup drive along the Arabian Sea at Mahim Beach to mark World Environment Day, in Mumbai, Thursday, June 5, 2025. (PTI) 5/6Dancers dressed in costumes crafted from plastic waste perform during an event celebrating Cambodia's Environment Day and the United Nations' World Environment Day, highlighting the 2025 theme: Beat Plastic Pollution. (AFP)
