Catalysing sustainability transitions in cities in the global south suffering from severe plastic pollution

Project Details

Description

The world is facing an urgent urban challenge — we need to transition to more equitable, sustainable and resilient cities.

In 2019, the world generated 300 million tonnes of plastic waste. Plastic waste respects no borders and we are now witnessing ubiquitous global plastic pollution, on land, in the air and in rivers and oceans. Cities in the global south are disproportionately impacted. Many low income countries have very limited waste disposal infrastructure and inadequate management of plastic waste is exacerbated by the import of waste from high income countries.

The aim of this project is to identify opportunities to tackle the problem of urban plastic pollution, focusing on two case study sites in low income countries — Nairobi, Kenya and Sylhet, Bangladesh.

This is an interdisciplinary and international collaboration drawing contributions from a wide range of stakeholders, including community activists, local governments, businesses and academia.

Layperson's description

The world is facing an urgent urban challenge — we need to transition to more equitable, sustainable and resilient cities.

In 2019, the world generated 300 million tonnes of plastic waste. Plastic waste respects no borders and we are now witnessing ubiquitous global plastic pollution, on land, in the air and in rivers and oceans. Cities in the global south are disproportionately impacted. Many low income countries have very limited waste disposal infrastructure and inadequate management of plastic waste is exacerbated by the import of waste from high income countries.

The aim of this project is to identify opportunities to tackle the problem of urban plastic pollution, focusing on two case study sites in low income countries — Nairobi, Kenya and Sylhet, Bangladesh.

This is an interdisciplinary and international collaboration drawing contributions from a wide range of stakeholders, including community activists, local governments, businesses and academia.
Short titleSustainable transitions to end plastic pollution
AcronymSTEPP
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/11/1931/07/21

UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This project contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production
  • SDG 13 - Climate Action
  • SDG 14 - Life Below Water
  • SDG 15 - Life on Land

Keywords

  • plastic pollution
  • participatory research
  • creative methodologies
  • circular economy
  • sustainable transitions
  • global south
  • kenya
  • bangladesh

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