Page 27 - Plastics News November 2020

engineers and economists will use both quantitative important enough to redirect valuable resources away
and qualitative methods to understand the from these more pressing challenges.
socioeconomic and political obstacles in incentivizing “However, we argue that waste management is
governments to remove plastic waste and increase inextricably linked to health and should not be treated
sustainable waste disposal. They will also explore the as a separate issue. By characterising how people
mental health and wellbeing of those living in areas interact with plastics on a day-to-day basis, the SPACES
heavily impacted by plastic pollution. project will provide the framework required to build
circular economies with improved, more sustainable
development pathways and new economic
opportunities. This will have far-reaching implications
for human health and wellbeing, ecosystem services
and economic stability in sub-Saharan Africa and
beyond.”
Professor Sir Duncan Wingham, Executive Director of
the Natural Environment Research Council, said:
“Pollution caused by plastic waste is one of the world's
biggest environmental challenges, and UKRI is at the
forefront of funding research to find solutions. These
awards totalling £20 million are a vital step in helping
world-leading researchers develop realistic and
feasible solutions to reduce plastic pollution while
enabling equitable, sustainable growth.
While the work will focus on Tanzania and Malawi, the “Our investment in international development research
findings will be relevant to many other countries, aims to positively impact the lives of millions of people
including those in sub-Saharan Africa. This is significant across the world and supports global efforts to achieve
as it has been estimated that between 400,000 and one the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.”
million people die each year in low- and middle-income The SPACES team will work alongside local government
countries (LMICs) due to mismanaged waste. Despite
this, waste management in LMICs remains a low priority and council leaders, recycling associations and
entrepreneurs to provide both the evidence and
funding area, with fragmented responsibility between
incentives that will allow individuals, communities,
departments and a lack of time or technical expertise to business leaders and national decision-makers to foster
negotiate suitable strategies.
a sustained change in attitudes for tackling the
Professor Quilliam said: “Typically, governments, challenges of plastic waste in the environment.
communities and individuals in sub-Saharan countries Significantly, the project's governmental and
prioritise healthcare and food and water security, commercial partners will continue the research once
followed by employment, education and housing. the project concludes.
Plastic pollution rarely registers as something

th
12 AIPMA Members Directory 2020

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NOVEMBER 2020 27 Plastics News