Plastic pollution has reached every corner of the planet – even entering our bodies in the form of microplastics. This World Environment Day 2025, the call is clear: it’s time for collective action to tackle this global crisis. By drawing inspiration from nature and highlighting practical, real-world solutions, this year’s campaign urges individuals, organisations, industries, and governments to embrace sustainable practices that drive lasting change. With countries set to reconvene in just two months to continue negotiations on a global treaty to end plastic pollution, the momentum has never been more critical. Join the #BeatPlasticPollution movement – because together, we can build a cleaner, healthier future for all.

We’ve all seen the headlines – single-use plastics are choking our planet.

In 2024, bottled water consumption in Turkey reached approximately 11.1 billion litres—equivalent to around 22.2 billion 0.5-litre bottles—reflecting a rise driven by hotter weather and changing consumer habits, with the average person using about 130 litres of bottled water that year.

The good news? We can change this. Carry a reusable bottle. Choose filtered tap water when it’s safe. Say no to single-use plastic whenever you can. Small actions, when multiplied across millions of people, can shift the tide.

Let’s be part of the solution – because plastic bottles aren’t cool, but a cleaner planet definitely is.

Here are some simple tips and affordable swaps to reduce your plastic footprint

• Carry a reusable bottle – there are many varieties of eco friendly bottles available that are suitable for all ages.

• Say no to plastic straws

• Take a reusable coffee cup

• Avoid excessive plastic food packaging

• Carry a reusable shopping bag

“Dönüşüm seninle başlar”

“Change begins with you”

Further reading:

Sources: https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/

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June 5 is marked by the United Nations as World Environment Day, a day set aside since 1974 to promote “worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment.”

A number of official events have been organised for this week, starting with the opening ceremony and wreath laying at Fethiye Town Square and a presentation to the winners of a competition held in schools where pupils were asked to come up with ideas for ways to hep the environment.

The highlight of the day was later in the evening when a very special boat was launched into the sea for the very first time…

“Beat Plastic Pollution”

Each World Environment Day is organized around a theme that focuses attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern. The theme for 2018, “Beat Plastic Pollution,” is a call to action for all of us to come together to combat one of the great environmental challenges of our time. The theme invites us all to consider how we can make changes in our everyday lives to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution on our natural places, our wildlife – and our own health. While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become over-reliant on single-use or disposable plastic – with severe environmental consequences.

Dünya Geridönüş – a maiden voyage

Kate and Şeref Topcu are passionate about protecting the environment and are always looking for ways to highlight and improve environmental issues. They are both an integral part of the Türkiye’yi Temiz Tut project.

Kate and Şeref are very keen to highlight the overuse of plastics, the pollution it causes and damage to the oceans and the Earth.

This years Beat Plastic Pollution theme gave them the perfect idea – to build a boat out of used plastic bottles.

And that’s just what they did…

The five metre long boat took two months to build. Everything used was either found or recycled, in total 322 1.5 litre bottles, 302 0.5 litre bottles and 330 metres of abandoned fishing wire were collected and used to build the boat.

Nothing new was used.

World Environment Day arrived, the boat, Dünya Geridönüş (World Recycling), was ready and the plan was to launch it into the sea at Şat Jetty in Çalış at sunset.

And again, that’s just what they did…

We’re going to let the photographs tell the rest of the story.

Arriving

Getting ready

The maiden voyage of Dünya Geridönüş

The boat went into the water at 19:30 to rousing cheers from the crowd who came along to watch and support.

Kaptan Yasemin was invited to be the first to take the boat out. Yasemin and her mum, Desree Sarıoğlu, both helped with the building of the boat.

Then it was Şeref’s turn. He told us he had always wanted to build a boat and this was a dream come true.

What a successful evening

Dünya Geridönüş was displayed in front of the Culture Centre in Fethiye until the end of World Environment Week.

Thanks go to

Güvens Restaurant and Carole, Nil Bar and Angelöznur, Bambu Restaurant and individual supporters for collecting bottles

Boat building helpers, Lee Leverinton, Desree Sarioğlu and her daughter Yasemin. Advice and support Richard Oldham. Plus lots of support from Kate and Şeref’s lovely friends.

A final word from Kate and Şeref

“We really want to encourage people to stop using single use plastic and adopt a more healthy caring attitude towards our Earth and environment”

This article was first published on 7 June 2018.

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