Bottle cap mural by Oscar Olivares in Guatire, Venezuela

© FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Image

Recycling never looked so good. World Environment Day

A global shoutout to the planet we all call home. On World Environment Day, the world hits pause to reflect and act for a greener future. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme, this day has been observed annually on June 5 since 1973. This year, hosted by the Republic of Korea, the event focuses on ending plastic pollution. Plastic contamination has crept into every part of the world—from oceans and forests to our own bodies in the form of microplastics. This year's campaign aims to spark change at every level of society.

And that brings us to today's image, a mural that's turning heads and making a difference in Guatire, Venezuela. A local artist, Oscar Olivares, created one of the world's largest eco-murals—made entirely from plastic bottle caps. The over 350-square-metre artwork is made of 400,000 bottle caps and depicts two blue macaws spreading their wings across a once-plain cement wall. Children, seniors and everyone in between rolled up their sleeves to glue caps, piece by piece, converting waste into something meaningful. Through this project, Olivares not only crafted something beautiful, but also sparked conversations about sustainability and showed people the power of collective action. Because sometimes, a big change starts with something as small as a bottle cap.