How Kenyan Waste Pickers Are Fighting the Plastic Pollution Crisis

Solomon Njoroge and Joyce Wangari are waste pickers at Dandora, a sprawling dump site in Nairobi, Kenya. At 40 acres, it’s one of the largest in Africa. Originally opened in 1975 with World Bank funds, it was deemed “full” over twenty years ago. Yet, it continues to operate, receiving over 2,000 metric tonnes of waste each day that waste pickers like Joyce and Solomon hunt through in search of materials that can be recycled. Until now, waste pickers have been ghost workers; unrecognized, unprotected, succumbing to lung diseases and cancer from living amid toxic waste, inhaling smoke from burning plastic and scraping a living in some of the worst conditions possible. Right now, a Global Plastics Treaty is being negotiated that could change this and finally turn the tide on the plastic pollution emergency. The Waste Pickers Association is fighting tooth and nail to make sure that treaty matches the scale of this global crisis. But they’re up against some powerful forces. 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels — and Big Oil is making sure we produce more and more plastic each year. It’s time to break our toxic relationship with plastic. Join the movement of Global Citizens, governments, activists, and organizations around the world demanding action by endorsing the call for a Global Plastics Treaty. This video was made possible with funding from the Minderoo Foundation. _____________________________________________________________________ Global Citizen is a social action platform for a global generation that aims to solve the world’s biggest challenges. On our platform, you can learn about issues, take action on what matters most, and join a community committed to social change. We believe we can end extreme poverty because of the collective actions of Global Citizens across the world. Register to become a Global Citizen and start taking action today: https://www.globalcitizen.org/ You can also find us at: Website: https://www.globalcitizen.org/ Facebook:   / glblctzn   Twitter:   / glblctzn   Instagram:   / glblctzn