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World Environment Day 2025: Tackling plastic pollution for a sustainable future
05 Jun 2025
4 mins
Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, impacting our oceans, wildlife, and human health. Despite growing awareness, plastic remains deeply embedded in our daily lives.
This World Environment Day, the United Nations is calling for urgent action to end plastic pollution. Achieving this goal requires rethinking how plastic is produced, used, and managed across society.
The Broader Impact of Plastic Pollution
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), more than 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year, much of it intended for single use. Most of this plastic is never recycled. Instead, it ends up in landfills, rivers, and oceans, where it can persist for centuries.
The damage extends far beyond waste. Plastic pollution harms biodiversity, disrupts food chains, and threatens the health of both terrestrial and marine environments. It even ends up in our food systems, with microplastics now found in everything from fish to bottled water.
What’s more, the environmental cost of plastic begins before it even becomes waste. Most plastic is made from fossil fuels, and both its production and disposal generate significant greenhouse gas emissions. This means the more plastic we produce, the harder it becomes to meet climate targets, even as we invest in clean energy solutions.
What We Can Do: Everyday Changes That Make a Difference
Addressing plastic pollution doesn’t have to mean changing your entire lifestyle overnight. In fact, real impact often starts with small, intentional shifts in behaviour. Here are a few practical ways to cut down on plastic use in your daily routine:
- Choose reusables over single-use plastics: Carry a reusable water bottle, coffee cup, or shopping bag. It’s a simple swap that significantly reduces the volume of plastic you consume without even thinking.
- Shop more consciously: Look for products with minimal or recyclable packaging. Buy in bulk when possible and support brands using recycled or compostable materials.
- Repair, don’t replace: According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), maintaining and repairing plastic products, rather than replacing them, helps reduce overall plastic waste. A cracked storage container, for example, may be fixable rather than disposable.
- Understand your local recycling rules: Not all plastics are recyclable, and guidelines vary by region. Knowing what can and can't go in the bin makes your recycling efforts more effective and prevents contamination.
These might seem like minor changes, but when multiplied across communities and countries, they send a powerful message: we’re moving away from a throwaway culture and towards one grounded in responsibility and long-term thinking.
What This Means for Us at Piper Maddox
At Piper Maddox, sustainability is the core of what we do. From helping build the teams driving the clean energy transition to making conscious choices in how we work, we’re deeply committed to shaping a future that respects the planet and the generations to come.
Recently, members of our team spent time at Brixton Orchard in London, volunteering to support biodiversity in the city. From planting for pollinators to clearing overgrown paths, it was hands-on work that reminded us of our duty to protect the world.
Inside our offices, we’ve introduced dedicated recycling bins to help reduce waste and make more conscious decisions part of our routine. Across our global teams, we also marked Earth Day with our “Battle of the Plants”, a small step that brought more greenery into our workspaces and served as a visible reminder of our commitment to care for our environment.
These actions are supported and driven by our internal SEE (Social, Environmental, and Ethical) community, a community where people across the business come together to lead meaningful change, champion sustainable practices, and hold ourselves accountable to the values we stand for.
The path to a more sustainable future isn’t easy, and it won’t happen overnight. But through the choices we make, as individuals, as businesses, and as a global community, we can begin to turn the tide. At Piper Maddox, we remain committed to being part of that change, every step of the way.
Want to help shape the future? View our latest jobs now.
