“Zayed International Environment” calls for an urgent national and global action to eliminate plastic pollution

The Zayed International Environment Foundation, on the occasion of the International Environment Day, which is celebrated this year under the slogan “eliminating plastic pollution”, affirmed its commitment to active participation in national and international efforts aimed at reducing plastic pollution and reducing its devastating effects on human health and the safety of environmental systems, calling for an urgent national and global move to eliminate plastic pollution.

The head of the Foundation, Dr. Mohamed Ahmed bin Fahd, said that plastic, despite its importance in our daily life, has become a serious environmental threat, as humanity produces more than 400 million tons annually of plastic, about 40% of them are used only once before turning into waste, from which more than 10 million tons are thrown into the seas and oceans every year.

He added that the fine plastic molecules (the micro and the nano plastic) have become polluting every corner of the planet, but rather inside human bodies, which poses a direct threat to public health.

The Foundation praised the historical initiative led by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) towards the approval of an international agreement binding to reduce plastic pollution, stressing the importance of this agreement to have strong executive effects that are reflected on the environmental policies of both developing and advanced countries.

He stressed that the elimination of plastic pollution is no longer an option, but rather an urgent necessity to ensure a safe and sustainable future for future generations, calling on everyone to joint work under the slogan:
“Together towards a planet is free of plastic pollution.”

The Zayed Foundation called for taking a package of urgent measures at the national level, most notably: “Reducing dependence on mono -use plastic products, modernizing environmental laws to keep pace with international agreements, stimulate investment in sustainable alternatives to plastic, intensify societal and media awareness campaigns, and support youth and community initiatives in cleaning beaches and gardens.”

The procedures included “encouraging recycling, especially through small projects, cooperation with international organizations to enhance infrastructure for plastic waste management, and integrate environmental issues into educational curricula and media programs.”