In order to achieve a plastic-free India, the Environment Ministry has declared the protected areas to be ‘Plastic Free Zones’.
- This announcement has been made ahead of the World Environment Day to be observed on 5th June.
- States and Union Territories have been directed to organize awareness campaigns to sensitize people about the issue.
Key Facts
- All protected areas and forest reserves will be plastic free zones and it will be mandatorily enforced.
- Non-recyclable plastics have been banned and various steps will be taken so that plastic is not allowed inside the protected areas.
- Other alternatives to plastics would be provided gradually.
- India will host the World Environment Day this year.
- The theme for UN World Environment Day this year is 'Beat Plastic Pollution'.
- Protected areas in Bengal and Odisha are already plastic free zones.
- Recently on March 18, Maharashtra Government also declared as plastic free making its land to get rid of this danger to environment material.
World Environment Day 2018
- India is the global host of the World Environment Day 2018 which will be observed on 5th June 2018.
- Every World Environment Day ha a different global host country, where the official celebrations take place.
- The focus on the host country helps highlight the environmental challenges it faces and supports the effort to address those challenges.
- Theme for World Environment Day 2018 = “Beat Plastic Pollution”.
- It urges governments, industry, communities, and individuals to come together and explore sustainable alternatives and urgently reduce the production and excessive use of single-use plastic polluting our oceans, damaging marine life and threatening human health.
- World Environment Day is a UN Environment-led global event, the single largest celebration of our environment each year.
- Since it began in 1972, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated across the globe.
Plastic Pollution
- Every year the world uses 500 billion plastic bags.
- Each year, at least 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the oceans which is equivalent to a full garbage truck every minute.
- In the last decade, the amount of plastic produced was more than that in the whole last century.
- 50% of the plastic used in single-use or disposable.
- 1 million plastic bottles are bought every minute.
- Plastic makes up 10% of all the waste generated.
