Sand extraction is driving erosion, flooding, salination of aquifers and collapse of coastal defences. UNEP has partnered with Kenyan spoken word poet Beatrice Kariuki to shed light on the problems of sand mining, part of a wider push for a zero waste world. The 2022 UNEP report Sand and Sustainability: 10 Strategic Recommendations to Avert a Crisis identified sand extraction as rising at an unsustainable rate of 6% annually and outlined the need for regulation and rethinking of sand use. Solutions proposed include creating legal frameworks and developing a circular economy, restoring ecosystems, recycling construction material and developing ore-sand as an alternative source. UNEP launched #BeatPollution to combat pollution and showcases how transitioning to a pollution-free planet is vital for future generations.