Building collective ownership of single-use plastics waste in youth communities: case studies from Kenya, Jamaica, and Malawi

Looking anywhere, seeing it everywhere, waste has become a "natural" part of our everyday life that we often do not even realize it is there. A common disregard for the omnipresence of waste unites us. The “Building collective ownership of single-use plastics waste in youth communities: case studies from Kenya, Jamaica and Malawi” (Young Plastics) project under the Global Challenges Research Fund aims at identifying tools for collective awareness and motivate actions, policy recommendations and guidelines to reduce single-use plastic (SUP). Within the scope of the project communication options at schools, youth groups and universities in Jamaica, Kenya and Malawi will be evaluated, all of which with regards to the minimization of use of plastic by young people. Thereby, the attainment of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) will be supported.

Key objektives

The specific issue we are addressing is the impact from pollution by SUP waste. Our project will support the objectives of SDG 8 to promote economic development and sustainable growth; 11 to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; 12 to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development; and 15 to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. Our objective is to design intervention tools such as social media campaigns, school presentations and competitions, schools/universities collaborative projects and policy recommendations and guidelines which will have an impact on the reduction of SUP waste and will support the attainment of the SDGs.

All the members of the research team are members of the Governing Plastics Network (GPN) and involved in one or more of the projects on plastics under that umbrella. This project would add an important opportunity for building and developing the impact outcomes of the GPN. The GPN is linked to the Surrey Special Interest Group on Plastics in the Environment which is chaired by the PI, Prof Malcolm.
We are also building on the Earth Ambassadeurs programme which includes research work undertaken by Dr Clayton (CMU, Jamaica). Earth Ambassadeurs is a nonprofit environmental body committed to using education and science to raise awareness and find solutions to marine litter and is a member of the UN Global Partnership on Marine Litter.

Governing Plastics Network

Earth Ambassadeurs

Partners in the project are:

• Surrey (UK) partner: Prof. Dr. Rosalind Malcolm, Centre for International and Environmental Law, University of Surrey, UK
• Kenya partner: Prof Nicholas Otienoh Oguge, CASELAP, University of Nairobi, Kenya 
  
  
• Jamaica partner: Dr Andrea Clayton, Caribbean Maritime University, Jamaica
  
  
• Malawi lead partner: Prof Dr Thoko Kaime, Chair of African Legal Systems, University of Bayreuth, Germany
  
  
• Malawi co-partner: Tisungeni Tikhalenawo Kaime, Catholic University of Malawi, Malawi

Want to know more about the plastic polution in Malawi?

Watch Prof Dr Kaime on Plastic Pollution Snapshots: Malawi Part 1 Part 2

Watch Ms Tisungeni Kaime of the Catholic University of Malawi describes the challenges of putting Malawi's environmental management policies into practice and what can be done to overcome them. Watch here

Have a look at further contributions on the africanlegalstudies.blog