Pate Island community turns plastic waste into marine conservation

The group runs a community restaurant, supports visits to historic ruins, collects plastic waste, harvests herbal medicines and honey, makes traditional artefacts from mangroves, and farms crabs. These activities help diversify livelihoods and reduce dependence on fishing.

"PRATI has demonstrated that conservation can be community-led, that there is value in plastic waste and that communities can harness this value for economic benefit if supported," says Lilian Mulupi, IFAW East Africa marine programme manager.

Community members earn 15 Kenyan shillings per kilogram of plastic bottles and 10 shillings per kilogram of hard plastic. They also donate one shilling from their proceeds to environmental cleanups led by Beach Management Units.

"Previously, we dumped waste in the ocean or in abandoned buildings, but this attitude is changing. Flipflopi has taught us that plastics harm fish and other sea creatures, and that clean beachfronts attract tourists," says PRATI Group secretary Noor Twalim Mohammed.