As the second round of negotiations for an international treaty against plastics draws to a close, Environment Day on June 5, 2023 is dedicated to this theme.
Created in 1972 by the United Nations, this day is now celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. Every year, it is dedicated to questioning our relationship with the environment and biodiversity. This year, the focus is on possible solutions to plastic pollution. In the current context, 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year. While this urgency should raise questions for us as consumers, it also obliges governments to compel industry to drastically reduce the use of plastic. Today, oceans and seabirds are bearing the brunt of this scourge.
BirdLife International, of which the LPO, SPEA and SEO are members, was keen to highlight this fact on the occasion of this day. In an article published on its website, the NGO reminds us that seabirds are on the front line of this pollution. The northern fulmar is an indicator of plastic ingestion in the North Sea Channel, and the Laysan albatross in Hawaii. Plastic elements are also found in the nests of Northern Gannets, which face this pollution in their colonies.
The best waste – the kind that won’t end up in seabirds’ stomachs – is the kind we don’t produce. Together, let’s act on our own scale and call on our leaders to put an end to plastic pollution.
