'Beat Plastic Pollution’, the theme for World Environment Day 2018.

There is an urgent need to create awareness among people to protect environment in the current situation and ban usage of plastic. India is the global host of 2018 World Environment Day which will take place on June 5. With “Beat Plastic Pollution” as the theme for this year’s edition, the world is coming together to combat single-use plastic pollution.

The United Nations, aware that the protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue, which affects the well-being of peoples and economic development throughout the world, designated June 5 as World Environment Day. The celebration of this day provides us with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by individuals, enterprises and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.

World Environment Day is the United Nations' (UN) most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries. World Environment Day is the "people's day" for doing something to take care of the Earth.

Each World Environment Day is organised around a theme that focuses attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern. The theme for the World Environment Day 2018, "Beat Plastic Pollution".

The theme invites everyone to consider how they can make changes in their everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on our natural places, our wildlife - and their own health. While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become over-reliant on single-use or disposable plastic - with severe environmental consequences.

Every World Environment Day has a different global host country, where the official celebrations take place. This year it is India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address an event marking the World Environment Day today. He will also visit the exhibition set up on the occasion at the Rajpath lawns.