缅北禁地
For decades we have relied on plastics to keep us safe, insulate our homes and make sure our food stays fresh. From cell phones to car parts, PPE to syringes, the use of plastic has made our lives easier.
But when does plastic’s life come to an end?
Plastic waste can take anywhere from 20 to 500 years to decompose, and even then, it never fully disappears; it just gets smaller and smaller.
Consider this figure: 8,3 billion tonnes is the total amount of plastic ever made, half of which has been produced in the last 13 years.
Microplastics in particular have been found in every corner of the globe, from the peak of Mount Everest to the trough of the Mariana Trench. In fact, it has been estimated that humans ingest a credit card worth of plastic per week!
Yet of all discarded plastic so far, 12% has been incinerated, only 9% has been recycled, and the remainder has either been disposed of in landfills or released into the environment.
The , the UN’s multilateral environmental treaty on the prevention, minimisation and sound management of waste, has established the to provide a platform that unites multiple stakeholders under the common goal of eliminating the leakage of plastic waste into our environment.
This year, we asked people from all walks of life around the world to share with us photos that showcase how the indiscriminate use of plastic waste is impacting their daily lives and surroundings. We are proud to present to you the top-tier entries.
Let’s work together to find a sustainable way to co-exist with plastic. If #PlasticIsForever, then society needs to re-think and re-shape our relationship with this complex, useful and ubiquitous material.
This exhibit is organized by the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Partnership, with the support of the under the , the , and the City of Geneva.
Manta ray plastic soup, Indonesia
Chelonia Mydas comes up for a breath amongst debris, Brazil
Survival, Philippines
129-year-old humanitarian vessel Vega sails through plastic waste in the Java Sea
Aerial view of the Korle Lagoon, choked with single-use plastic, Ghana
Live with the environment, Bangladesh
Crying girl beside the house, Malaysia
Plastic waste scavenger, Ghana
A woman scavenges for survival in a mountain of plastic waste, Pakistan
Beach on fire, Indonesia
Up-close and in plastic, Uruguay
Cultivating plastic, Tanzania
Morning spotlight at Anse Royale Church, Seychelles
Sightings on a beach walk in modern times, Italy
Reality check, Croatia
Plastic monster, France
Two boys, Kenya
Nature message in a bottle, Lithuania
Falling asleep, Bangladesh
Plastic sunset, Croatia
Drowning in plastic, Panama
Ghost jelly, Indonesia
Plastic river, Bangladesh
Choose reusables: our children’s fight, The United States of America
Bon appétit, Adriatic Sea
The plastic in our river, Indonesia
Plastic instead of leaves, Indonesia
Shame, Croatia
This exhibit was launched in June 2021