‘Flipflopi’ set for voyage to map impact of plastic pollution

New Delhi: The creators of the world’s first sailing dhow made entirely from discarded plastic, the ‘Flipflopi’, on Monday announced partnering with members of the international scientific community to undertake an expedition to map the impact of marine litter in the Lamu archipelago of the Western Indian Ocean. By assessing the full extent of marine […]

New Delhi: The creators of the world’s first sailing dhow made entirely from discarded plastic, the ‘Flipflopi’, on Monday announced partnering with members of the international scientific community to undertake an expedition to map the impact of marine litter in the Lamu archipelago of the Western Indian Ocean.

By assessing the full extent of marine plastics on this environment, they hope to support local communities to find solutions to manage this waste through the creation of closed-loop waste management systems where items can be recycled after use and later made into new products. This includes development of a plastic boat building industry.

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During the two-week expedition, the Flipflopi team and partners will conduct scientific research to map the extent of macroplastics, microplastics and microfibres in the ocean and on the shorelines (beaches and mangrove forests) of around 300 kilometres of Kenyan coastline.

They will also run a series of events to increase local communities’ understanding of the impact of plastic pollution and showcase solutions.
The research will be used to understand the common types of plastic waste accumulating on the coastline, and map areas of plastic accumulation. It aims to provide a holistic overview of the most common types of plastic waste, their sources and how they negatively impact the Lamu archipelago’s marine ecosystems.

The expedition also coincides with a commemoration of 50 years of UNEP. Leticia Carvalho, Principal Coordinator for Marine and Freshwater at UNEP said: “Research projects like this, being spearheaded by our Clean Seas partner Flipflopi, are great examples of how we can all join hands to build the evidence base for smarter policies, advocacy and action in areas that are home to some of the richest biodiversity on the planet, but that are facing the gravest threats.”