Flipflopi: Activists raise awareness about plastic pollution
The Flipflopi boat and its crew when they embarked on a sailing expedition in the Lamu archipelago on February 21, 2022.
A boat made from 10 tonnes of discarded plastic waste on Monday started a sailing expedition in the Lamu archipelago.
The objective of the voyage of one and a half weeks is to determine the extent of plastic pollution on the island’s beaches.
A crew of more than 20 on the Flipflopi will also investigate pollution in the mangrove forests and record pollution hotspots.
Speaking at the start of the journey, Flipflopi Project and Takataka Heroes co-founder Ali Skanda noted that the crew will collect and analyse data on plastic pollution on the islands.
The shores of the Lamu archipelago are highly affected by plastic pollution due to the nature of the currents.
Mr Skanda said about 40 tonnes of plastic waste is taken from the beaches annually in clean-up campaigns.
“It has, therefore, become apparent that to effectively address the marine plastic pollution problem, it is critical to have a better understanding of the extent of the problem, as well as how factors such as tides influence the volume and dispersion of ocean plastic,” he said.
He added: “We have embarked on this important journey that will involve engaging our community and continue to support education and awareness about the harms of plastic pollution and the importance of waste management as a whole to protect our island and our heritage.
“It is critical to show the value and spirit of innovation and the importance that Lamu has as a centre of global heritage and how our culture is intrinsically linked to the health of our environment.”
Before the voyage began on Monday, the boat operators and other environmental partners marked a two-day event called the Lamu Eco Festival at the Mkunguni Square in Lamu Old Town,
The event incorporated various activities to showcase plastic waste recycling.
This is not the first time that the Flipflopi and Takataka Heroes crew is making a public awareness tour on plastic pollution.
In May 2021, the boat completed a two-month plastic pollution expedition in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
The voyage was aimed at creating awareness about plastic pollution on freshwater sources and pushing for the banning of single-use plastics in the region.
The Flipflopi was made in 2017 from 100 percent recycled plastic and was covered by 30,000 multicoloured flip-flops.
In 2018, the boat completed its first ground-breaking expedition, sailing over 500km from Lamu in Kenya to Zanzibar and Tanzania, stopping at 12 community points along the way to spread awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution.
