Flourish - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 17
So what should we do?
The science does not
yet justify panic, but
it absolutely justi昀椀es
action. WHO says
policymakers and the
public should better
manage plastics
and reduce their
use where possible,
regardless of whether
every human health
question has been
answered. OECD
data shows that
microplastics come
from a wide range
of sources, including
tyre abrasion, brake
wear and textile
washing, which
means the solution is
not just about plastic
straws and bottles. It
is also about product
design, transport
systems, wastewater
treatment, waste
collection and
recycling, and
reducing the amount
of unnecessary
plastic entering the
economy in the 昀椀rst
place. UNEP makes
the same point:
redesigning products,
reducing plastic use
and stopping waste
from escaping into
the environment are
essential if we want
to stem the 昀氀ow of
microplastics.
World Environment Day 2026
World Environment Day 2026 will be
hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku on 5 June,
with a focus on climate action. That may
sound like a different conversation, but it
really is not. The OECD warns that under
business as usual, the plastics lifecycle
would contribute at least 5 per cent of
global greenhouse gas emissions, while
UNEP says plastic pollution must be
considered alongside climate change,
ecosystem degradation and resource use.
So when we talk about microplastics and
our health, we are also talking about the
systems that shape our future: how we
produce, consume, waste and protect.
World Environment Day 2026 is a timely
reminder that healthier people and a
healthier planet are not separate goals.
They are the same job.
