How ocean plastic could end up on your plate

Plastics wash up on the seafront in Lamu County. [File, Standard]

Toxic chemicals from plastic waste are entering the food Kenyans eat through seafood, the Kenya Coalition to End Plastic Pollution has warned.

In a statement on Thursday, June 18, marking the conclusion of the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, toxic chemicals and microplastics are contaminating marine ecosystems, food systems and communities, said the coalition.

Plastic accounts for 80 per cent of marine litter worldwide, according to the coalition.

It cited a study by the Centre for Environment Justice and Development (CEJAD) and partners which found toxic chemicals in many recycled and everyday plastic products sold in the Kenyan market.

The chemicals can leach into the environment.

Marine animals risk consuming plastic waste, which threatens their survival and reaches humans who eat seafood, observed the coalition.

"Beyond this chemical threat, plastics fragment into microplastics that can be ingested by marine life and enter the food chain as seafood, posing serious health risks when consumed," said the coalition.

Exposure to toxic chemicals in plastics and microplastics has been linked to cancer, reproductive disorders and endocrine disruption, noted the coalition.

Land sources account for an estimated 80 per cent of marine plastic pollution, with mismanaged waste carried through rivers and drainage systems into the ocean, explained the coalition.

"This underscores the urgent need to strengthen waste management systems if we are to tackle plastic pollution before it reaches our coastlines and oceans," added the coalition.

Coastal communities face polluted beaches, declining fish catches and contaminated food systems, cautioned the coalition.

It called for support through knowledge sharing, capacity building and sustainable livelihoods for fishers, women, youth and community groups.

"We call on governments, industry, development partners and the international community to move beyond declarations and deliver measurable action," stated the coalition.

The coalition urged government to fully implement and enforce Kenya's Sustainable Waste Management Act and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulations, which hold producers accountable for the waste they generate and give communities access to waste segregation and recycling systems.

It also called for recognition of waste pickers in formal waste management systems, restoration of mangroves and coral reefs, and a reduction in plastic production alongside a phase-out of hazardous chemicals and single-use plastic products.

The, measures, the coalition noted, are critical to building a toxic-free circular economy while protecting marine ecosystems.