The Global plastic pollution crisis demands urgent, collaborative action. In Papua New Guinea where the unique biodiversity and reliance on the pure state of natural environments are severely threatened and we need to foster strong partnerships across all sectors. This was the 2025 World Environment Day message from the Minister for Environment Conservation and Climate Change, Simon Kilepa. The minister said the theme for this year’s World Environment Day, Ending Plastic Pollution highlights the critical need for governments, industries, communities and individuals to unite in exploring sustainable alternatives and drastically reducing the production and excessive use of single use plastics. “The Government through the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA), introduced a Ban on the importation of singled use plastic shopping bags (SUO Shopping Bags) in 2020. However, the unchecked proliferation of single-use plastic shopping bags continues to fuel environmental pollution and waste management challenges across the country. The scale of the problem is alarming, as initial baseline studies have estimated that approximately 161,400 tons of microplastic waste have polluted our environment in 2024, with single single-use plastic accounting for over 68% of ocean-bound plastic waste. The near absence of domestic plastic recycling with only about 455 tons exported intensifies this crisis. Without immediate and decisive intervention, it is projected that between 2024 and 2035, over 2.3 million tons of plastic waste will have been generated and mismanaged in PNG,” Minister Kilepa said. He said this highlights the critical need for an unprecedented level of collaboration. “We must work closely to foster and implement robust strategies to reduce the generation of singled-use plastic waste and enhance the waste management system in the country. As we prepare to celebrate our 50th Independence, I urge the government, NGOs, business houses, corporate entities and all institutions and citizens to recognize the 4th National Goals and Directive Principals of our Constitution which promotes the conservation and sustainable use of our natural resources for the collective benefit of us all, while also considering the needs of future generations,” Mr. Kilepa said.