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Plastic free July 2019

Plastic Free July to raise awareness on waste

KARACHI: Every bit of plastic ever produced still exists and 50% of the world’s plastic goes into items that are only used once! 

Millions across the globe will join the Plastic Free July campaign this month, getting rid of plastic items to create awareness on pollution by taking the challenge.

The month of July is celebrated annually by communities around the world and led by environmental organizations.

“By making small changes to your everyday habits, you can make a huge difference,” said a statement that was released by the Plastic Free July Foundation.

People can take the challenge individually by refusing to consume single-use plastics, the statement said.

“Once you choose one single-use plastic to avoid, you’ll quickly discover others plastics in your life you can start cutting out, too. Our next steps help people who want to take the challenge even further,” it said.

Plastic Free July is a campaign led by the Plastic Free Foundation, established in 2017 as an independent non-profit organization.

According to its website, Plastic Free July also runs an award-winning campaign for a world without plastic waste.

UN figures estimate 8.3 billion tons of plastic have been produced since the early 1950s.

“Around the world, one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute, while up to 5 trillion single-use plastic bags are used worldwide every year,” the UN said in its statement on plastic waste and pollution.

It underlined that the world today produced 300 million tons of plastic every year — nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.

“If current trends continue, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050,” the statement added.

The UN designated this year’s World Environment Day slogan, which is celebrated every year on the June 5, as “#BeatPlasticPollution” to raise awareness on the rising threats and dangers of plastic pollution to human life and the environment.

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M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.