5 June

World Environment Day

Held since 1973 and led by UNEP, 5 June is a reminder that plastic made on land often ends up in water.

Plastic debris washed ashore and scattered across a sandy beach on Laysan Island, Hawaii — Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

World Environment Day takes place on 5 June. It has been held every year since 1973 and is led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). A different country hosts it each year, and in 2026 the host is the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Plastic pollution has been one of its main themes. According to the UN, the world produces more than 400 million tonnes of plastic every year, enough to fill more than a million rubbish lorries.

Much of that plastic does not stay on land. The UN warns that the amount of plastic waste flowing into rivers, lakes and seas will nearly triple by 2040. Rivers carry it to the coast, and currents carry it further.

UNEP links this work to the protection of seas and oceans, the repair of ecosystems and the protection of biodiversity, all part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

What you can do: carry a refillable bottle and bag, choose products with less packaging, and join a local clean-up. Ask shops and brands how they handle their waste, and say you care about the answer.

At AVALON Artisan Gallery we also look at waste that comes from the sea. More than 50,000 tonnes of green mussel shells are discarded in Thailand each year. From Waste to Wonder is our way of reclaiming them as MyraShell and MyraGem.