On World Environment Day, UNICEF calls for action to Beat Plastic Pollution and Scale Up Sustainable Recycling Initiatives

Freetown, 5 June 2025 – UNICEF Sierra Leone joins the global campaign to Beat Plastic Pollution, highlighting the urgent need for collective action to tackle one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Environment Day remains the world’s largest platform for environmental awareness, mobilizing millions to take action for a healthier and sustainable planet.

This year’s theme—Ending Plastic Pollution—resonates strongly in Sierra Leone, where plastic waste increasingly threatens communities, especially in coastal areas. Children in vulnerable settings are among the hardest hit, facing both health risks and environmental consequences from unmanaged plastic pollution.

“World Environment Day is a reminder that we must take urgent and concerted action to address pollution to ensure a sustainable future for children,” said Rudolf Schwenk, UNICEF Sierra Leone Representative.

With support from the Government of Iceland, UNICEF Sierra Leone has piloted a small-scale plastic recycling initiative in the coastal communities of Tombo and Konacrydee. The project cleans up plastic waste from beaches and transforms it into construction materials such as blocks and tiles.

This project demonstrates how plastic waste, when managed properly, can become a resource. It also shows that protecting the environment can go hand-in-hand with promoting livelihoods and community resilience.

While the initiative has shown early successes, its long-term impact depends on sustainability. Greater ownership and leadership from local government, ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) are essential to extend the benefits beyond the pilot phase.

UNICEF calls on partners to deepen engagement with communities and collaborate with private entrepreneurs to develop and scale environmentally and economically sustainable waste management systems. Strong institutional support will be critical to the success and growth of such initiatives.

Plastic pollution disproportionately affects children, especially those living in coastal and slum settlements with limited access to clean water and sanitation. Microplastics have been detected in food, water, and even the air children breathe. The broader environmental degradation also harms livelihoods, disrupts learning environments, and undermines children’s overall well-being.

Last year, in recognition of youth-led climate action, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jiwoh Abdulai, signed the "Declaration of Children and Youth for Climate Action" on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone. This was a great step forward for prioritizing the voices and actions of children and young people in the fight against climate change and the protection of the environment.

UNICEF Sierra Leone urges government agencies, private sector actors, and communities to unite in reducing plastic waste and championing sustainable practices. Scaling successful models like those in Tombo and Konacrydee can help turn plastic waste into opportunities for a cleaner, greener Sierra Leone.

Together, let us beat plastic pollution and build a healthier environment for every child in Sierra Leone.