Every year in June an important environmental day is recognised calling on the world to come together for the sake of the planet.
World Environment Day is a United Nations initiative that falls on June 5. In 2023 the global event will focus around beating plastic pollution.
According to a new report by UN Environment Programme (UNEP), plastic pollution could reduce by 80 per cent by 2040 if countries and companies make moderate policy and market shifts using existing technologies.
The report, Turning off the Tap: How the world can end plastic pollution and create a circular economy outlines a roadmap to reduce the impact of plastic pollution.
It was released ahead of the second round of negotiations in Paris, that wraps up on June 2 with on a global agreement on the issue.
Closer to home, leading environmental advocacy group Sunshine Coast Environment Council (SCEC) is calling on locals to ‘go green’ this June.
The ‘Go Green for June’ campaign aims to encourage individuals, schools, community groups and businesses to hold their own event.
The campaign forms part of the SCEC’s World Environment Day (WED) festival, which runs from June 3 to 11 with a range of community events.
WED festival manager Benjamin Child says the events will raise money for the SCEC to continue its work of protecting the local environment.
“By registering an event for Going Green for June, you will be making a meaningful contribution to the protection of the Sunshine Coast’s greatest assets: our natural environment,” he says.
“Help us to continue to give the beaches, rivers, bushlands and forest a voice on the Sunshine Coast so that current and future generations can enjoy a positive future.”
Mr Child says some event ideas can include an environmentally-friendly workplace morning tea, beach clean ups, fun walks or runs, swim races or picnics.
To celebrate World Environment Day, Sunshine Coast Council and Noosa Council have teamed up with BlockTexx and St Vincent de Paul Society to hold a community textile recycling event.
The Give a Sheet for the Planet event is calling on the community to clean out linen cupboards to give old sheets of all sizes a second chance at life.
Items can be dropped off at Chancellor State College, Secondary Campus, Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs or Tewantin State School, 10 Werin Street, Tewantin, on June 11.
All donated linen will be converted into valuable, high-grade recycled materials by BlockTexx to be used by Australian manufacturers to create new products.
These include hydro-mulch, geosynthetic fabrics and building materials.
For more information on the initiative or to organise a fundraising event, visit go-green-for-june-2023.raisely.com. More information can be found at wed.org.au
