Knowledge mingle on plastic waste management at Kulturhuset

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On Monday October 9, 2023, I had the opportunity to participate in a knowledge mingle event on plastic pollution and poverty alleviation, organized by Hand in Hand Sweden and Håll Sverige Rent at Kulturhuset Stadsteatern in Stockholm. The event aimed to raise awareness and foster dialogue on how plastic pollution and poverty are interrelated, and how we can work together to improve the situation for both the planet and the people.

I was invited to give a short talk on the scale and impacts of plastic pollution in the Global South and how this intersects with the wider waste management system, focusing on the cases of Kenya and India, where I have been involved in research and policy projects. I also shared some insights on the challenges and opportunities for governance and collaboration in the plastics value chain, involving different stakeholders from public, private, and civil society sectors. I highlighted the need to reduce plastic consumption, improve waste management, and promote circular economy solutions.

After my talk, I joined a panel discussion with Anna Lindstedt, Ambassador for the Oceans at the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Helen Klint, Policy advisor at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, and Eva Blidberg - Marine litter expert at Håll Sverige Rent. We answered questions from the audience on various topics related to plastic pollution and poverty, such as the role of consumers, producers, and governments, the potential of innovation and technology, and the importance of education and awareness. The panel was moderated by Mikael Drackner from Håll Sverige Rent.

I really enjoyed the event and learned a lot from the other speakers and panellists about their work on global policy processes on the blue economy and ocean health, about the ongoing negotiations for a plastics treaty at the UN and about the impacts of plastic waste on marine biodiversity. It was also great to meet Japheth Muli from Hand in Hand Eastern Africa again, who shared his experience from the Waves of Change project, which aims to empower coastal communities in Kenya and India to tackle plastic pollution and poverty. I had earlier interacted with Japheth in Mombasa, Kenya where my colleague George Njoroge and I conducted a training workshop on waste management for his team at Hand in Hand Eastern Africa back in April 2022 so it was really nice to meet again. The event ended with a mingle session, where I had the chance to network with other participants and exchange ideas on how to address these global challenges of plastic pollution and poverty eradication.

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My ImageD Photos: Lisa Possne

More about the studies we did in Kenya and India within the Waves of Change project: