Atlas | There is only one earth, but there are endless disposable plastics - World Earth Day "Global War Sculpture"
- In 2018, in the Red Sea, a yellow plastic ring was tightly wrapped around the gill of a shark. April 22, 2024 is the 55th World Earth Day with the theme of "Planet vs. Plastics", calling for the rapid elimination of all disposable plastics and the construction of a plastic free planet for future generations. Plastic pollution is a global problem. Of the 7 billion tons of plastic waste generated in the world, less than 10% of plastic waste is recycled. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the equivalent of 2000 garbage trucks filled with plastic are dumped into oceans, rivers and lakes every day. Figure: IC photo
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- On July 3, 2022 local time, on the coast of Silifke, Mersin, Turkey, volunteers dived to pick up various metal and plastic wastes, which threatened the survival of marine life. Figure: Visual China
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- On October 4, 2023 local time, in Suwon, Gyeonggi do, South Korea, after the Mid Autumn Festival break, foamed plastics filled the Suwon Resource Recycling Center, Lingtong District. Figure: Visual China
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- On December 20, 2023 local time, in Beilan, Thailand, plastic bottle caps are located in the waste plastic sorting and recycling station in Lampi County. Of the 8 million tons of plastic waste produced in this country, only 25% is recycled, and more than 50000 tons are finally discharged into the sea every year. In response, the Thai government has implemented a plan to ban all plastic imports by 2025, making the country reduce plastic imports. The total import volume in 2022 will be 180000 tons. Figure: Visual China
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- In July 2023, Qinghai, plastic garbage beside the 109 National Highway. Picture: Hao Wenhui (special appointment)
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- On March 19, 2024 local time, in Bali, Indonesia, during the monsoon season, a man sat near garbage on the polluted coast of Kedonganan beach. During the rainy season, due to the illegal dumping of garbage in rivers and coastal areas, a large number of plastic garbage and debris are often washed to the coastline, thus aggravating the marine pollution. Indonesia is one of the countries that cause the most serious marine plastic pollution in the world. Figure: IC photo
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- Take away plastic bags. A research report shows that in the five years from 2015 to 2020, the order volume of China's mainstream Internet delivery platforms has increased from 1.7 billion to 17.12 billion, and the plastic consumption (waste) has increased from 57000 tons to 574000 tons, an increase of nearly 10 times in five years. Figure: Visual China
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- On January 11, 2024 local time, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Derina River. After the rain, tons of garbage and plastic waste are piled on the river. Figure: IC photo
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- On June 3, 2023, at a garbage dump in Ampala, eastern Sri Lanka, wild elephants were eating garbage containing plastic garbage. Sri Lanka's Ministry of Environment said that before the promulgation of the new law prohibiting the sale of disposable plastics, Sri Lanka will carry out the nationwide cleaning of plastic waste. Previously, a large number of elephants and deer died after foraging in the open-air garbage dump filled with plastic garbage in the northeast of Sri Lanka. At the same time, the shrinking habitat led these giant beasts to attack villages in search of food. Figure: Visual China
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- On February 17, 2023 local time, the body of a French sea turtle washed ashore on Clifton beach in Karachi, Pakistan, is an endangered marine species. Experts say it died after eating plastic near the coast. Figure: IC photo
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- Crows eat garbage on the beach in Colombo, Sri Lanka on August 27, 2023 local time. Figure: Visual China
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- On February 22, 2024 local time, in Belgium, an environmental volunteer collected plastic particles on the ground near the petrochemical factory industrial zone in Ecaussinnes. They are buried underground and in ditches, scattered on river banks and waterways. Figure: Visual China
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- On March 4, 2024 local time, the conveyor belt of Site Zero plastic sorting plant in Mutara, Sweden. The plant is the world's largest plastic recycling plant, with zero carbon dioxide emissions, and handles 200000 tons of plastic packaging annually. Figure: Visual China
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- On June 3, 2023 local time, in Sanaa, Yemen, a garbage dump worker walked through the plastic pile with difficulty. According to the statistics of Sana'a local cleaning service agency, Sana'a, with more than 5 million people, produces more than 1400 tons of garbage every day. More and more poor people in Yemen pick up plastic products in the streets and garbage dumps of major cities, and then sell them to garbage dumps for classification. The owner of the dump will sell the sorted plastic products to the factory for recycling. These plastic pickers usually earn 1000 to 1500 Yemeni rials (about 1.92 to 2.88 euros) per day. Figure: IC photo
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- On June 3, 2023 local time, Abraham L.B. Freeman of the Environmental Relief Initiative collected used plastic water bags in Raymond camp in Harrisburg, Montserrato County, Liberia. Freeman is the "Global Atlantic Fellow" and the founder of the environmental rescue plan. He has raised people's awareness of plastic pollution, trained volunteers to recycle plastic waste into finished products, such as backpacks, bags, raincoats, and advocated community driven waste management plans in underserved communities in Liberia. 35% of the sales revenue of recycled goods belongs to the volunteers participating in the recycling activities, and 65% of them are re invested in the recycling activities. Figure: IC photo
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- On April 17, 2024 local time, in Nakuru, Kenya, workers collect plastic garbage for recycling. Workers crush thousands of tons of garbage collected by a company in the city into small pieces. The shredded plastic is then put into gunny bags and sold to the company for recycling. Figure: IC photo
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- On March 27, 2024 local time, Medan, Indonesia, a garbage collector in a garbage landfill collects plastic garbage while drinking water for sale to a recycling center. Figure: Visual China
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Editor in charge: Dong De | Page editor: Li Congxun
