Thousands of pieces of marine plastics are estimated to be afloat on every square mile of the Indian ocean. A synthesis UNEP report states, the Western Indian Ocean is well-known for its remarkable biodiversity and beautiful beaches that support recreation, tourism, and fishing activities. However, the “continued degradation of the Western Indian Ocean due to marine plastic litter has a potential of reversing socio-economic gains made in the region in the recent past.”
The presence of marine litter has very serious implications for marine wildlife, fisheries, and human health. Abandoned or discarded fishing gear entangles marine wildlife such as turtles, hindering their mobility, or entangling the propellers of the local fisher folk boats, thereby inhibiting smooth navigation. Floating plastic can also serve to translocate species from one location to another, thereby spreading invasive species to new areas.
It should be of major concern to humans when marine litter breaks down and becomes microplastics. Many animals ingest this microplastic, thinking that it is food. Then the animals think their bellies are full, but they then end up dying because of false satiation.
Microplastics in the ocean concentrate on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), harmful metals, and toxins, while some already comprise toxic chemicals and additives within their structures. They, therefore serve as transport agents for these toxins across the ocean, bringing them to different zones and species. The plastic being ingested by species is then ingested by humans when we eat fish, shellfish, and macroinvertebrates from the ocean. Indeed, over the past few years, many research organizations have published papers on the likelihood that we are ingesting high volumes of plastics from these marine organisms.
A waste receptacle for disposal of plastic waste at Watamu. Source: Evelyn Makena
Community Initiative for the good
Geoffrey Balusi grew up in Watamu, a small village in Kilifi County along the Kenyan Coast, relying on the pristine beaches and the Indian Ocean for livelihood and income through tourism and fishing. So when Balusi, was given an opportunity to rid the beaches of marine litter as part of the EcoWorld Watamu project 13 years ago, he signed up without hesitation.
“I had seen how plastic litter was becoming an eyesore to the beautiful beaches risking sending tourists away. Something had to be done to protect our lifeline before it was too late,” he says.
Balusi is among youth and women from Watamu, who are collecting marine litter from the beaches and surrounding areas and recycling them to curb ocean pollution. Litter comprising of plastics, glass, metal, and other non-biodegradable materials left on land eventually end up in oceans polluting beaches and threatening vulnerable marine life.
Formed by Watamu Marine Association, a body comprising of hotel operators, community members, and environmental groups in 2009, EcoWorld is a recycling initiative that is helping tackle ocean pollution, protect marine ecosystems and support livelihoods.
“EcoWorld’s main goal was to clean up the environment and educate the community on proper waste management through recycling,” says Karen Njue, the Operations Manager at EcoWorld.
Karen Njue, Operations Manager, EcoWorld Watamu. Source: Evelyn Makena
The initiative has devised four methods of collecting litter along Kilifi beaches and on land; a buyback scheme, beach clean ups, waste receptacles, and service agreements. Most of the waste is collected through a buyback scheme that involves encouraging the local community members to collect litter and buy it from them. “We train women and youth groups on the type of waste we can recycle, they collect and we buy it at Sh. 10 per kilogram. We buy the waste from their homes to save them transport costs,” adds Njue.
Occasionally, EcoWorld mobilizes local communities and tourism stakeholders for beach clean-ups along the Kilifi coastline. During a recent major cleanup during the 2022 International Beach Clean-up day held on the 16th of September, 2.5 tons of marine litter was collected. “More than 400 people including community members and tourism stakeholders took part in the 3-hour beach clean-up,” adds Njue.
Progress and Possibilities
Big waste receptacles that EcoWorld has placed in strategic places along the beach offer people a place to dispose of litter responsibly. The initiative has also signed service agreements with hotels and private homes that entail offering training on waste segregation and collecting recyclable waste from them on a monthly basis at a cost of sh.2,000.
An office at EcoWorld's Recycling facility made of glass bottles encased in cement and artwork made of waste. Source: Evelyn Makena
Waste collected through the four avenues is taken to EcoWorld’s recycling center and sorted. Waste collectors and sorters are involved in this process. The initiative has been working with two groups of community members dubbed Blue and Green teams.
The blue team comprises beach cleaners and waste sorters. They collect waste from the beach and sort it out, separating recyclables and non-recyclables. Plastics, metal, glass, fishing ropes, and flip-flops comprise 90% of the waste collected and recycled at the facility. The rest of the waste including toothbrushes and polythene bags ends up in landfills. The green team does the finer sorting. “In a plastic bottle, for example, this involves putting every material like the cap, sticker, neck ring on its own,” says Njue.
Members of the Green Team sorting waste at EcoWorld's Recycling Facility. Source: Evelyn Makena
Through these efforts, the initiative collects 5-10 tons of waste per month, with plans to upscale to 30 tons monthly and collect 250 tons by the end of the year. At the recycling center, hard and PET plastics are shredded. The granules are sold to companies that produce plastic products at Sh.45 and Sh.30 per Kg of hard plastic and PET respectively. A hard plastic shredding machine has the capacity to crush 4-5 tons of plastic per day. While the PET machine can shred 350 Kg of plastic per day.
Flip flops are used to make artwork that is sold in nearby hotels and in a shop within the facility, while metal is sold to scrap metal dealers. While the center has used glass bottles for construction.
“Once encased with cement, glass bottles make a strong building material. One of our office blocks at the recycling facility is constructed using glass bottles,” reveals Njue.
Marine litter, particularly plastic, is emerging as a big threat to marine species and ecosystems. Versatile and cheap, plastics are used to make many products. But when disposed of in the ocean, plastics are ingested by marine species like turtles that confuse it for food and it eventually causes their death. UNEP estimates that 100,000 marine mammals die every year as a result of eating plastic. Fishing gear also entangles and kills marine life. “Once trapped by nets, marine species cannot feed, move, mate, breath, and eventually die,” notes Njue.
A Glimpse of Light at the End of the Tunnel
EcoWorld’s efforts are not only saving marine life and improving aesthetics of the beaches, but also creating employment. Balusi is one of more than 200 locals that are involved in operations of the recycling facility and earning a living from waste. “When I first joined the initiative I was jobless. I began as a volunteer waste picker and presently I am the supervisor at the recycling facility,” beams Balusi. From the earnings, Balusi is able to support his elderly parents.
Artwork made of recycled flipflops. Source: Evelyn Makena
While considered a successful waste management project, EcoWorld has had its challenges. Due to limited machinery, the facility only shreds plastics but does not do value addition. According to Njue, EcoWorld plans to buy plastic value addition equipment using Sh. 7.2 million funding they recently received from Coca Cola Foundation. “To improve the status of our waste pickers and boost their morale we also plan to buy them Personal Protective Equipment including overalls and proper working shoes,” she says.
The initiative has also been crucial in changing the community’s attitudes towards waste, with most now viewing it as a resource. It is also curbing destructive waste management practices (like burning) that the community mainly relied on. Burning waste is harmful to the health of people and the environment because it releases toxic chemicals that pollute the air.
