Plastic waste pollutes and harms us in many ways. It affects natural habitats for animals and plants in water and soil. and it contributes to climate change. Small plastic particles, known as microplastics, can also enter the body and bloodstream, potentially causing health effects – though more research is still needed in this area.

Many developing countries have developing recycling systems. Much of the recycling is done by informal systems, where processes are less automated, and many workers operate under unsafe conditions and earn low wages. I would recommend addressing these challenges by integrating their work into existing formal waste collection and recycling systems to boost national plastic recycling capacities. However, workers in the informal sector may not want to formalize, so it’s essential to engage them through a participatory process to find ways of improving their working conditions. At the same time, we need to reduce the volume of plastics produced by factories, as well as the waste coming from our homes and enterprises.

There is currently limited evidence on the direct impact of microplastics on the human body. To truly understand how these particles affect human health – especially given their ability to travel through the bloodstream and even reach the placenta – we need to apply a stronger health and biological lens. This means deeper interdisciplinary research that bridges environmental science with toxicology, human physiology and public health.

Governments need to phase out certain types of plastics that are hard to recycle. They include multi-layer plastics often used for food packaging and low-value plastics such as coloured PET bottles, which are harder to recycle and more likely to end up in landfills or water bodies. Regulatory authorities should also mandate manufacturers to clearly label the plastic types used in their products, enabling recyclers – particularly those in the informal sectors – to sort them more easily. 

But the most important policy shift is to require manufacturers to adopt eco-friendly alternatives to conventional plastic packaging. 

You’re right in the sense that individuals and communities do have a role to play in ending plastic pollution, but it’s a systemic issue that requires awareness creation and widespread behavioural change.  At the household level, people can choose products with minimal plastic, avoid single-use plastics, or better still, use non-plastic materials. If plastic use is unavoidable, developing ways of sorting household plastic waste could ease the burden on waste pickers and recyclers, who are mostly in the informal sector.

The solution to plastic pollution lies in science and innovation. Through science and innovation, we understand the effects of plastics on the planet and develop tools, technologies, and systems to mitigate them. For example, biodegradable plastics have proven to be very effective in promoting environmental sustainability. In other sectors and industries, entrepreneurs have discovered that plastic waste such as bottles can be shredded, melted and utilized in manufacturing other materials. 

While we still have a long way to go, efforts from both the private and public sectors are really commendable. Research is driving innovation, and many technologies are being developed as a result, and many counties like Kenya are in that transition period. 

As a research institution involved in policy advocacy, SEI will continue to provide evidence to help inform policy and to build the capacity of stakeholders in the private and public sectors. One of the core priorities in our 2025–29 strategy is to deepen engagements with our policy networks, so we hope to connect more deeply with stakeholders in plastics and produce research to help understand and address the problem of plastic pollution.