Tuesday 5th June 2018 marks World Environment Day and this could well be the most poignant of environment awareness days since it started in 1974. Traditionally, this is a celebration of our environment but more recently has been the catalyst for bringing up awareness of issues and driving change. World Environment Day has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries. The whole world needs to pull together to help protect the planet and take action.
Beat Plastic Pollution
Each World Environment Day is organized around a theme that focuses attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern. The theme for 2018, “Beat Plastic Pollution,” is a call to action for all of us to come together to combat one of the great environmental challenges of our time. The theme invites us all to consider how we can make changes in our everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on our natural places, our wildlife – and our own health. While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become over-reliant on single-use or disposable plastic – with severe environmental consequences.
This graphic just highlights the problems our planet is dealing with. Ever since we started producing and manufacturing plastic in the 1950s, the material has been used for many things but it is all still with us. Since then, we have produced over 8 billion tonnes of plastic but most of this is in landfill and there lies our problem. It is becoming unsustainable and having a detrimental effect on our planet and everything in it.
A very easy change you can make in your life is to use a Water-to-Go bottle. It is a reusable bottle with a filter meaning not only can you save on plastic bottles but you can also fill up from any non-salt water source in the world. Our unique 3-in-1 technology filters will eliminate well in excess of 99.9% of all microbiological contaminants from water including viruses, bacteria, chemicals and heavy metals. So not only will you be able to protect your health, you be protecting the planet as well.
To illustrate this, just one 75cl filter is the equivalent of 400 single-use plastic bottles. Over the course of a year, this could amount to 1500 bottles – this is the way to make a difference and curb your plastic usage. Water-to-Go is the perfect alternative to plastic bottles and a sustainable solution to plastic pollution.
On Tuesday 29th May, the United Nations also celebrates the 70th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping, a unique and dynamic department developed to help countries torn by conflict create the conditions for lasting peace. Water-to-Go is proud to have supported some of the United Nations Peacekeepers in Sudan on Operation TRENTON. It is fantastic to see that they stayed healthy and hydrated whilst on duty. They do so much to bring about world peace and Water-to-Go is pleased to have been a small part of that.
Water-to-Go has been in partnership with UN peacekeepers for several years, supplying them with their high demand for filter water bottles in war-torn or ravaged locations around the world. They have been able to travel sustainably and have protected their health and the planet without having to use single-use plastic water bottles. If they can do it, we can do it.
You can be part of the worldwide movement to clean up the planet
On Tuesday 5th June 2018, India will be the global host of 2018’s World Environment Day celebrations. This World Environment Day UN Environment is asking you, companies and civil society groups, to take a concrete action to Beat Plastic Pollution. Let’s all help to clean up our environment.
“The country has demonstrated tremendous global leadership on climate change and the need to shift to a low carbon economy, and India will now help galvanize greater action on plastics pollution. It’s a global emergency affecting every aspect of our lives. It’s in the water we drink and the food we eat. It’s destroying our beaches and oceans. India will now be leading the push to save our oceans and planet.”
Erik Solheim, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme
Water-to-Go is involved in advocating the reuse of plastics and supports World Environment Day. By buying a Water-to-Go bottle, you get to use a reusable water bottle for a minimum of five to ten years, only needing the filter to be changed incrementally during the year. Water-to-Go bottles are made from durable and strong materials that have longevity when it comes to lifespan and they are easy to use also.
The People’s Day
Above all, World Environment Day is the “people’s day” for doing something to take care of the Earth. That “something” can be focused locally, nationally or globally; it can be a solo act or involve a crowd. Everyone is free to choose.
Water-to-Go also supports clean-ups of beaches and water-reserves with single-use plastics through our partners. Organisations such as the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers Against Sewage organise such events and are getting the whole nation to help clean up our environment. Having a greener environment is in keeping with Water-to-Go’s mission and ethics and something we are incredibly passionate about.
Reusable 75cl and 50cl bottles help save the environment by reducing the usage of single-use plastics. Your Water-to-Go bottle should not end up in a landfill site or in the world’s waters.
The theme of reducing plastic pollution is continued by World Oceans’ Day which takes place shortly after World Environment Day on Friday 8th June 2018. 2018 is going to be the year of change and action as we are starting to realise we cannot carry on the way we are. We need to protect our environment to ensure the future of our planet and life on it. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development states our resolve “to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources.” It is imperative that we pull together and tackle the problem of plastic pollution. We need to make changes in our lives in order to save the planet.
By 2050, there will be more plastic in the sea than fish unless the industry cleans up its act.
Ellen MacArthur, The Guardian
This quote has been used a lot recently and highlights the severity of plastic pollution and what could happen if we don’t do something about it. The UN have highlighted that we need to Rethink Plastics and create a sustainable future for our planet.
In recent years, millions of people have taken part in thousands of registered activities worldwide. There are plenty of activities and things we can all to do raise awareness and do our bit for the environment.
For more details, visit the World Environment Day website.
