Officials of UN agencies in China call for efforts to fight plastic pollution

BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Officials of UN agencies in China on Thursday said that the excessive use and disposal of plastics have infiltrated every corner of the earth, calling for every individual to work to make a difference in the fight against plastic pollution.

The officials made the remarks when attending a 2023 World Environment Day event focusing on beating plastic pollution, which was held by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Beijing.

Siddharth Chatterjee, UN development system resident coordinator in China, said that plastic, which was once hailed as a miracle material, has now become a symbol of reckless consumption and a disregard for nature.

To beat plastic pollution, people should recycle plastics, reduce their dependence on single-use plastics, and bring together the efforts of individuals, governments and industries across society, he said.

Tu Ruihe, head of the UNEP China Office, said that systemic changes across the entire life cycle of plastics are required to address plastic pollution. He said that plastic pollution control faces many battles that will require active responses from industries, enterprises, social organizations and every consumer, and that innovative ways and methods to solve the problem will need to be put forward.

According to the UNEP, the event is one of the celebrations of World Environment Day. Held annually on June 5 since 1973, World Environment Day is one of the world's largest platforms for environmental awareness and is led by the UNEP.