Sustainable Plastic Attitudes to benefit Communities and their Environments (SPACES)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Stirling
Department Name: Biological and Environmental Sciences
Abstract
Between 400,000 and 1 million people die each year in LMICs due to diseases related to mismanaged waste. Waste management is, however, a complex area, which affects multiple stakeholders, such as manufacturers, distributors, retailers, households, the recycling industry, informal waste pickers and local governments, and therefore requires an integrated approach.
Malawi and Tanzania are two of the world's poorest countries, yet the consumption of plastics has exploded in the last decade. Tanzania and Malawi make important case-study countries because of their recent governmental responses to plastic bags, and their contrasting policy landscapes in terms of tackling plastic wastes. In many cities in sub-Saharan Africa, plastic wastes, and plastic bags in particular, block urban drainage systems. During rain events this leads to localised flooding, with an increased risk of human exposure to raw sewage and the spread of waterborne pathogens within highly populated areas. Plastic waste can also act as a transient receptacle for rainwater and thus provide a larval habitat for mosquitoes. Therefore, the negative impacts of plastic pollution on human health can include the spread of pathogens such as cholera and typhoid, and the provision of transient receptacles for breeding mosquitoes that can carry diseases such as malaria and Zika virus. In parallel, the consequences of living with significant levels of environmental plastic pollution can negatively affect mental health and well-being. However, despite wide-scale recognition of the need for LMIC governments to invest more thoroughly in solid waste management, this remains a low funding priority area, with fragmented responsibility between departments and a lack of time or technical expertise to negotiate suitable waste management strategies. Typically, governments, communities and individuals in sub-Saharan countries prioritise health-care, and food and water security, followed by employment, education and housing. Plastic pollution rarely registers as something important enough to re-direct valuable resources away from these more pressing challenges. However, we argue that waste management is inextricably linked to health and should not be treated as a separate issue. By characterising how people interact with plastics on a day-by-day basis, the SPACES project will provide the framework needed to build circular economies with improved, more sustainable development pathways and new economic opportunities, and have far-reaching implications for human health and well-being, ecosystem services and economic stability in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
Quantitative and qualitative mixed methods approaches will be developed to understand what socioeconomic and political obstacles exist for incentivising governments to remove plastic waste and increase sustainable waste disposal. Novel strategies for intervention, mitigation and sustainable adaptation by local communities will be co-developed using extensive behavioural economics and anthropological methods in tandem with environmental, biological, epidemiological and geographical approaches. Working with a range of local recycling associations and entrepreneurs, together with local government and council leaders, the SPACES project will provide both the evidence and incentives that will allow individuals, communities, business leaders and national decision-makers to foster a sustained change in attitudes for tackling the challenges of plastic waste in the environment. In turn delivering a step change towards enabling a cleaner, more resilient and more productive environment.
Malawi and Tanzania are two of the world's poorest countries, yet the consumption of plastics has exploded in the last decade. Tanzania and Malawi make important case-study countries because of their recent governmental responses to plastic bags, and their contrasting policy landscapes in terms of tackling plastic wastes. In many cities in sub-Saharan Africa, plastic wastes, and plastic bags in particular, block urban drainage systems. During rain events this leads to localised flooding, with an increased risk of human exposure to raw sewage and the spread of waterborne pathogens within highly populated areas. Plastic waste can also act as a transient receptacle for rainwater and thus provide a larval habitat for mosquitoes. Therefore, the negative impacts of plastic pollution on human health can include the spread of pathogens such as cholera and typhoid, and the provision of transient receptacles for breeding mosquitoes that can carry diseases such as malaria and Zika virus. In parallel, the consequences of living with significant levels of environmental plastic pollution can negatively affect mental health and well-being. However, despite wide-scale recognition of the need for LMIC governments to invest more thoroughly in solid waste management, this remains a low funding priority area, with fragmented responsibility between departments and a lack of time or technical expertise to negotiate suitable waste management strategies. Typically, governments, communities and individuals in sub-Saharan countries prioritise health-care, and food and water security, followed by employment, education and housing. Plastic pollution rarely registers as something important enough to re-direct valuable resources away from these more pressing challenges. However, we argue that waste management is inextricably linked to health and should not be treated as a separate issue. By characterising how people interact with plastics on a day-by-day basis, the SPACES project will provide the framework needed to build circular economies with improved, more sustainable development pathways and new economic opportunities, and have far-reaching implications for human health and well-being, ecosystem services and economic stability in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
Quantitative and qualitative mixed methods approaches will be developed to understand what socioeconomic and political obstacles exist for incentivising governments to remove plastic waste and increase sustainable waste disposal. Novel strategies for intervention, mitigation and sustainable adaptation by local communities will be co-developed using extensive behavioural economics and anthropological methods in tandem with environmental, biological, epidemiological and geographical approaches. Working with a range of local recycling associations and entrepreneurs, together with local government and council leaders, the SPACES project will provide both the evidence and incentives that will allow individuals, communities, business leaders and national decision-makers to foster a sustained change in attitudes for tackling the challenges of plastic waste in the environment. In turn delivering a step change towards enabling a cleaner, more resilient and more productive environment.
Organisations
- University of Stirling (Lead Research Organisation)
- Wellcome Trust (Collaboration)
- University of Malawi (Collaboration)
- University of Dar es Salaam (Collaboration)
- Malawi Government (Project Partner)
- Tanzania Effective Development for ALL (Project Partner)
- Dar es Salaam City Council (Project Partner)
- Tanzania Recycler Association (TARA) (Project Partner)
- Wildlife and Env society of Malawi (WESM (Project Partner)
- Truss Group (Project Partner)
- WASTE Advisers (Project Partner)
- Joshua Palfreman (Project Partner)
Publications
White HL
(2023)
Open defaecation by proxy: Tackling the increase of disposable diapers in waste piles in informal settlements.
in International journal of hygiene and environmental health
Moresco V
(2022)
Binding, recovery, and infectiousness of enveloped and non-enveloped viruses associated with plastic pollution in surface water
in Environmental Pollution
Metcalf R
(2022)
Sewage-associated plastic waste washed up on beaches can act as a reservoir for faecal bacteria, potential human pathogens, and genes for antimicrobial resistance.
in Marine pollution bulletin
Metcalf R
(2022)
Quantifying the importance of plastic pollution for the dissemination of human pathogens: The challenges of choosing an appropriate 'control' material.
in The Science of the total environment
Moresco V
(2021)
Survival of human enteric and respiratory viruses on plastics in soil, freshwater, and marine environments.
in Environmental research
Description | Malawi - Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme |
Organisation | Wellcome Trust |
Department | Malawi-Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme |
Country | Malawi |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Academic staff at the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme are partners in the original application |
Collaborator Contribution | Co-writing of the original proposal |
Impact | Submission of original proposal |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Malawi - Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences |
Organisation | University of Malawi |
Country | Malawi |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Academic staff at the University of Malawi are partners in the original application |
Collaborator Contribution | Co-writing of the original proposal |
Impact | Submission of original proposal |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Project co-I institute |
Organisation | University of Malawi |
Country | Malawi |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Project co-I institute (following realignment of wider University of Malawi into different organisations) |
Collaborator Contribution | Project co-I institute (following realignment of wider University of Malawi into different organisations) |
Impact | Ongoing research collaboration |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Tanzania - University of Dar es Salaam |
Organisation | University of Dar es Salaam |
Country | Tanzania, United Republic of |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Academic staff at the University of Dar es Salaam are partners in the original application |
Collaborator Contribution | Co-writing of the original proposal |
Impact | Submission of original proposal |
Start Year | 2020 |
Description | Live radio talk show (four sessions) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Live radio talk show on Umoyo Nkukambilana in Blantyre, Malawi (conducted in the local language Chichewa). Four live sessions on consecutive Saturdays specifically introducing and discussing the project and general issues of plastic waste and disposal and pathogen transfer. The live shows included phone-in questions from the community. The last of the shows included community advisory groups in the studio to share their perceptions/concerns. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Overview of project objectives with community representatives and village chiefs in Ndirande, Blantyre, Malawi |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | To share an overview of the study and how it will be conducted within the community. Audience included: ? Village Chiefs ? Business community ? Women groups ? Youth groups ? Religious groups ? Community Police Forum ? CAG members ? Blantyre City representatives (Waste management) - Ndirande |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Overview of the project with schools and student science clubs, Ndirande, Blantyre, Malawi |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | To share an overview of the study and how schools can help share information about the study through their students. To discuss how students can be involved through science clubs and field visits. Attendees included: ? SHEN Coordinators, BT DEM and SWED ? Headteachers ? Science club patrons |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Plenary talk at the BBSRC London Interdisciplinary Biosciences Consortium (LIDo) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Plenary talk at the BBSRC London Interdisciplinary Biosciences Consortium (LIDo) for current cohorts of PhD students |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Project workshops and field visits to engage with participating communities (Malawi and Tanzania) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | October 2022: Two workshops (in Malawi and Tanzania) to engage stakeholders and local community and consolidate which communities to work with |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Report of research visit to LW Malawi |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | https://www.mlw.mw/news_and_events/post-doctoral-research-associate-immunology-1-post-based-in-blantyre-initial-12-months-contract-with-the-possibility-of-renewal/ |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.mlw.mw/news_and_events/post-doctoral-research-associate-immunology-1-post-based-in-blant... |
Description | Report on visit to Tanzania for project meetings |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Report on visit to Tanzania for project meetings |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.udsm.ac.tz/web/index.php/colleges/duce/news/scholars-from-university-of-stirling-strengt... |
Description | SPACES Twitter account |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | SPACES Twitter account: https://twitter.com/SPACES__Project |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://twitter.com/SPACES__Project |
Description | SPACES Website |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Project website: https://spacesproject.stir.ac.uk/ |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://spacesproject.stir.ac.uk/ |
Description | Stakeholder workshop (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | September 2022: A total of 33 participants attended the workshop, including policymakers, regulators, plastic waste recyclers, representatives from plastic industries, NGOs, the media, Municipal environmental health staff, Ward Executive Officers, Tanzania Bureau of Standards, Tanzania Revenue Authority, Waste Management Officers, waste pickers from Mzimbazi River Valley (the projects' main site). The workshop contained two plenary sessions and three parallel sessions. The first presenters covered the areas of: • Legal & policy implications on plastic waste • Importation of plastic polymers, and related products • Plastic recycling chain and experience • Management of plastic waste along Msimbazi River valley • The Role of NGOs in the management of plastic waste and • Regulatory experiences at locality level Break-out Group Sessions: • Group 1: Policy and Regulations • Group 2: Group two: Waste Collectors and Recyclers & Public Health Implications • Group 3: Industries and Importers of plastic waste • Group 4: NGO's and Researchers Workshop report has ben written up and circulated to stakeholders. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | The AP3 Research Network: Website |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Launch of the "African Plastic Pollution & Planetary Health Research Network (The AP3 Research Network) website. The AP3 aims to provide a valuable resource for promoting and increasing capacity and connectivity of Planetary Health research science in Africa. It is our mission to address the lack of connectivity between African researchers, and the effect this has on building capacity to undertake meaningful, and context-specific research |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://ap3researchnetwork.stir.ac.uk/ |
Description | The African Plastic Pollution & Planetary Health Research Network |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The African Plastic Pollution & Planetary Health Research Network aims to provide a valuable resource for promoting and increasing capacity and connectivity of Planetary Health research science in Africa. It is our mission to address the lack of connectivity between African researchers, and the effect this has on building capacity to undertake meaningful, and context-specific research. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://ap3researchnetwork.stir.ac.uk/ |
Description | Two presentations at MICRO2022 (Lanzarote, Spain) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Two presentations at MICRO2022: 1. "Plastics, pathogens, and persistence : important clinical E. coli strains can survive and retain their virulence on environmental plastic waste" 2. "Survival of human pathogens bound to microplastics during transfer through the freshwater-marine continuum : from wastewater discharge to the beach" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.micro.infini.fr/prog.html |
Description | Update on project objectives with environmental health officials, Ndirande Health Centre, Blantyre, Malawi |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | To share and discuss how the study will be conducted in the local community. Attendees included: ? HSAs ? Health Centre In-Charge |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |