Young Plastics

YOUNG PLASTICS
  • Plastic talking points: Malawi – strong laws, weak results
    Why do Malawi’s anti-plastic laws fail where they should succeed and succeed where they should fail. Professor Thoko Kaime reveals the surprising results from his study of knowledge and action on plastic waste in Malawi – and the questions they raise. You can watch the full video here Author Prof.…
  • Malawi: The Influence of the Young Generation on the Plastic Ban
    ANALYSIS Isabelle Zundel 18 March 2022 This contribution connects with former publications on this platform on combatting single-use plastics in Malawi facilitated through the project “Building collective ownership of single-use plastics waste (SUP) in youth communities: case studies from Kenya, Jamaica, and Malawi”. For this month’s topic on Climate Justice…
  • Advocating Against Plastic Waste in Malawi
    Malawi faces significant challenges in dealing with rising levels of waste, despite producing less waste than wealthier nations. In 2019, Lilongwe, the capital city of the country was producing approximately 250 metric tonnes of waste per day and the commercial city of Blantyre was producing 300 tonnes of waste per…

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 plasticswaste 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 to reduce single-use plastic. 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.

Why do we need to conduct this research? Because the pollution resulting from single-use plastic is one of many grave destroyers of the environment. Waste reduction can help promote sustainable use of the ocean as well as of terrestrial ecosystems. Plastic waste threatens sustainability of cities, of production patterns and of our consumption. Economic development and sustainable growth can only be achieved by addressing the impact of single-use plastic waste on our environment. Therefore, this projects seeks to develop tools, which are integrated into social interactions, that aim at the reduction of plastic waste.


Ms. Tisungeni Kaime of the Catholic University of Malwai offers her perspective on the challenges Malawi is facing in regards to its environmental management policies. If you are interested in finding out more on what needs to happen in order to realize policies in reality, check out the link below.

Governing Plastics Network – 36. Plastic talking points: making environmental laws work in Malawi | Facebook