TEHRAN - The national environment week will be celebrated on June 6-12 under the theme of “solutions to plastic pollution”, concurrent with World Environment Day.

The first day of the environment week (June 6) is named after global-regional diplomacy, climate change and water management, and implementation of dust reduction strategies.

Other days of the week have been named as follows:

June 7: Biodiversity and protection of endangered plant and animal species with the participation of local communities,

June 8: Environment, environmentalists, promoting the culture of sacrifice and martyrdom,

June 9: Environment, media, religious teachings, social responsibility,

June 10: Environment, green industry, waste, and knowledge-based sustainable development,

June 11: Environment, sea-based economy, wetlands tourism, employment, facilitating processes, and production growth,

June 12: Environment, new technologies, fertilizers, and voluntary partnerships

Strengthening knowledge and raising awareness and giving hope to the people through the national media and other mass communication media, exploiting the capacity and social influence of artists, athletes, and elites in the direction of creating a culture of environmental protection, and laying the groundwork for the maximum participation of non-governmental organizations in holding weekly programs Environment through environment houses are among the objectives of the national environment week.

Appreciating voluntary actions in the field of wildlife, collection of waste from wildlife habitats by local communities, promotion of the culture on protecting animal species, support of new environmentally friendly technologies with the approach of supporting the purchase of goods made in Iran, holding educational workshops for different classes of people and performing waste clean-up ceremonies in environmental areas at the entry points of cities in view of the beginning of summer holidays are among the approaches and implementation policies of this year's environment week.

The theme for World Environment Day on 5 June 2023 will focus on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.

The world is being inundated by plastic. More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 percent is recycled. An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers, and seas. Today, plastic clogs our landfills leach into the ocean and is combusted into toxic smoke, making it one of the gravest threats to the planet.

Not only that, but what is less known is that microplastics find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe. Many plastic products contain hazardous additives, which may pose a threat to our health.

The good news is that we have science and solutions to tackle the problem –and a lot is already happening. What is needed most now is a surge of public and political pressure to scale up and speed up actions from governments, companies, and other stakeholders to solve this crisis. This underscores the importance of this World Environment Day mobilizing action from every corner of the world.

World Environment Day 2023 will showcase how countries, businesses, and individuals are learning to use the material more sustainably, offering hope that one day, plastic pollution will be history.

MG