UN India launches ‘Plastic Pollution Literacy Kit’ ahead of World Environment Day

New Delhi, 5 June 2025 – Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations in India today launched the Plastic Pollution Literacy Kit, a new digital educational tool aimed at supporting national efforts to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainable consumption.

The launch coincided with the World Environment Day 2025 which has a focus on ending plastic pollution, which falls on 5 June.

The Kit is designed to provide practical, accessible information to a wide range of stakeholders — including policymakers, businesses, educators, youth, and communities. It outlines clear actions to reduce the use of single-use plastics, adopt circular economy practices, and support behavioral change at the individual and institutional levels.

“This Kit is a timely contribution to India’s important efforts to tackle plastic pollution. It sets out in simple, clear language the many ways in which we can all play our part to make a difference, to create a jan andolan of change,” said Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India.

Plastic pollution remains a major global challenge. Since the 1950s, more than 9.2 billion tons of plastic have been produced, with nearly 7 billion tons becoming waste. Single-use plastics — such as takeaway containers, disposable cutlery, and packaging foam — are among the most persistent pollutants. According to the OECD, only 9% of plastic waste is recycled.

The Kit outlines specific roles for key stakeholder groups, including industry, academia and research, government, communities, media, young people, citizens, politicians, influencers, and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

“The only way to end plastic pollution on this Planet is to bring about behavioral change. Each stakeholder group has a specific responsibility, and we all need to collectively contribute to bringing that change. The Kit is a step towards that with some practical tips for how each stakeholder can contribute to ending plastic pollution,” said Dr. Balakrishna Pisupati, Head of UNEP India.  

The Kit promotes a lifecycle approach to plastic use, encouraging re-design, reuse, and recycling. It will be translated into multiple Indian languages to broaden accessibility.

The English version is available here: Plastic Pollution Literacy Kit.

UNEP has convened a series of stakeholder dialogues bringing together the media, youth, industry and others to craft sustainable solutions to deal with the problem of plastic pollution. 

[END]

Media Contacts: Ms. Madhur Das, Senior Partnerships Advisor, UNEP (Madhur.das@un.org)

***