Context:

• With the threat of plastic pollution mounting and its deadly impacts on marine ecosystems, India is now preparing to join the global ‘Clean Seas Campaign’.

Other facts:

• This year, India is the global host of the WED in collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ as its theme.
• UNEP launched the ‘Clean Seas’ programme in February 2017 to fight marine plastic litter with the help of governments, civil society and citizens. “Plastic is already having a deadly impact on our marine ecosystem. Scientists and fishermen alike have pointed to signs of trouble. These include declining fish catches, warming ocean temperatures, and vanishing habitats.
• Plastic pollution is now entering our food chain. In fact, micro-plastics have now even entered basic food like salt, bottled water and tap water…India is preparing to join the ‘Clean Seas Campaign’ and make its contribution towards saving our oceans.
• According to the Clean Seas campaign at least 8 million tonnes of plastic leaks into the ocean each year. This has had a severe impact on aquatic life, found to be literally dying due to ingestion.
• Plastic is not the problem, but what we do with plastic is the problem. Plastic packaging accounts for all plastic waste, which is all single use.

Source:TH