The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) says about 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced worldwide every year.
UNEP, in a report to mark the 2025 World Environment Day on June 5, said half of this plastic was designed to be used only once, and only 10 per cent was recycled.
It said between 19 and 23 million tonnes of plastic waste leak into aquatic ecosystems annually, and without urgent action, this figure is expected to rise by 50 per cent by 2040.
The UN environment agency stressed that plastic pollution was contaminating every corner of the planet, threatening ecosystems, wildlife and human health.
Microplastics are found in food, water and air, with the average person estimated to ingest over 50,000 plastic particles each year and far more when inhalation is included.
UNEP warned that if the climate crisis goes unaddressed, with plastic pollution as a major driver, air pollution levels exceeding safe thresholds could rise by 50 per cent within a decade.
According to the UN agency, plastic pollution in marine and freshwater environments may triple by 2040.
To rally momentum, UNEP is leading the 52nd annual World Environment Day on 5 June, the world’s largest platform for environmental outreach.
This year’s commemoration is hosted by Jeju, Republic of Korea, under the theme #BeatPlasticPollution.
Since launching in 2018, the UNEP-led campaign has advocated for a just and inclusive transition away from plastic dependency.
World Environment Day brings together governments, businesses, communities and individuals in a shared mission to protect and restore the planet.
The day also advances progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those linked to climate action and sustainable consumption.
A major focus of the day is the ongoing push for a global treaty to end plastic pollution. Countries are currently negotiating an international, legally binding agreement, with the next round of talks scheduled for August.
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, called for an “ambitious, credible and just agreement” that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics, reflects community needs, aligns with the SDGs and is implemented quickly and fully.
UNEP Executive Director, Inger Andersen, echoed the call, urging nations to unite around innovative solutions and alternatives to plastic use.
World Environment Day serves as a catalyst for action, driving attention toward the UN Environment Assembly later this year.
Hopes are high that nations will finalise concrete steps to curb plastic pollution and address the broader climate emergency at the forthcoming assembly.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government has called for collective action among individuals, organisations and governments to combat plastic pollution.
The call comes as Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 2025 World Environment Day.
The state Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Dahiru Hashim, made the call at an event to mark the day on Wednesday, June 4, in Kano, the state capital.
He was represented by his Special Assistant on Environmental Sanitation, Abdullahi Shehu -Bichi.
Hashim said the World Environment Day, established by the United Nations in 1974, was marked annually on June 5 to raise global awareness and encourage action for environmental protection.
“The theme for 2025, ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’, focuses attention on the urgent need to reduce the use of single-use plastics and to adopt sustainable alternatives,” he said.
He noted that though plastic was a cheap, lightweight and durable material, it posed serious threat to the environment due to its long degradation period.
“Most plastics are used only once and discarded within minutes, ending up in landfills, water bodies or as litter.
“The pollution takes various forms from marine debris and microplastics in water to plastic netting that endangers aquatic life,” he said.
Hashim said the theme stressed the importance of coordinated efforts to tackle the plastic menace, which affected not only the environment but also human health.
Earlier, Mr. Rahama Farah, Chief of UNICEF Field Office, said plastic pollution remained one of the biggest threats to the planet, with over 400 million tonnes produced annually.
He warned that much of this plastic ended up in rivers, oceans, soil, and even the food people consumed.
Farah said the theme of this year’s celebration, “Putting an End to Plastic Pollution,” was a global call to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastics while seeking greener alternatives.
“In Kano today, we are planting trees and engaging in plastic trash collection as part of our activities to mark the day,” he said.
“These efforts align with UNICEF’s global Green Rising initiative, which mobilises youth for climate action through volunteering, green skills development, and environmental advocacy,” he explained.
On World Environment Day, Greenpeace Africa activists staged a demonstration outside Coca-Cola’s corporate offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa, with a striking 3-metre by 3-metre glass bottle cap installation and activists wearing elaborate costumes constructed from plastic waste. The action highlighted Coca-Cola’s status as the world’s number one plastic polluter for six consecutive years.
The visual spectacle included activists displaying banners reading “Cap it Coke” and “It tastes better in glass” as a demonstration for Coca-Cola to return to its iconic glass bottle packaging. The centrepiece was a towering glass bottle cap prop, symbolising the transition from single-use plastic bottles back to refillable glass alternatives that Coca-Cola once championed.
Hellen Kahaso Dena, Project Lead, Pan-African Plastics Project for Greenpeace Africa said:
“If Coca-Cola is really serious about solving the plastic and climate crisis, it needs to stop its greenwashing, cap its plastic production and invest in refill and reuse. Ending Coca-Cola’s addiction to single-use plastic is an important step in moving away from fossil fuels, protecting communities in Africa, and combating the climate crisis.”
One activist, dressed in an elaborate theatrical costume constructed entirely from discarded plastic bottles and waste, moved through the demonstration space as a living embodiment of the pollution crisis caused by the beverage giant’s relentless production of throwaway packaging. The costume, created in collaboration with local artists, transformed plastic waste into an artistic statement about corporate responsibility and environmental destruction.
“While big corporations like Coca-cola keep churning out single-use plastics and reaping millions in profit margins, waste pickers are left to deal with the consequences, sorting through mountains of waste for the tiny fraction that can be recycled,” added Dena.
The timing of the action is particularly significant as it comes at a time when the Global Plastics Treaty (INC-5) negotiations failed to deliver a binding document, after which Coca-Cola lowered its environmental commitments. The company extended its sustainability timeline to 2035 and reduced its targets, now aspiring to achieve only 40% recycling in primary packaging and collect 75% of bottles and cans marketed.
However, Coca-Cola has continued what activists describe as a “greenwashing spree,” making superficial design changes rather than addressing the root cause of plastic pollution. In 2023, the company changed its green Sprite bottle to a clear colour claiming improved recyclability. But critics suggest this merely changed the colour of plastic waste entering landfills and oceans.
“This is corporate greenwashing at its worst. Instead of performative solutions, Coca-Cola should implement robust refill and reuse systems, cap plastic production, and advocate for a strong Global Plastic Treaty that addresses the crisis at its source,” concluded Dena.
Over 99% of plastics derive from fossil fuels, directly linking plastic production to the climate crisis. The crisis affects the same communities that consume Coca-Cola products. The company’s business model relies heavily on fossil fuel extraction, contradicting any meaningful climate commitments.
The action concluded with activists attempting to deliver their demands directly to Coca-Cola’s senior management, including CEO Sunil Gupta, CFO Norton Kingwill, and Sustainability Officer Layla Jeevanantham. No Coca-Cola representative appeared to meet the activists, and the memorandum was left at their doorstep alongside a trophy for World’s No. 1 Polluter.
By Tiamiyu Arobani and Muhammad Nur Tijani