A dhow made from recycled plastic leaves the island of Lamu (Kenya). The boat, named Flipflopi, is the first of its kind in the world. His first trip, in January 2019, took place between that enclave and Zanzibar (Tanzania). During the journey, which was about 500 kilometers, the dhow made continuous stops that its crew took advantage of to raise awareness among students and communities about the importance of keeping our oceans clean. All of them received a worrying diagnosis of the state of marine waters. According to UN Environment, about 12 million tons of plastic are dumped there every year, with a serious impact on all forms of marine life.
The symbolism of the Flipflopi initiative should serve as an example and encouragement to leaders around the world. At the last meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiation Committee, held in Canada at the end of last April, the need to achieve an international agreement, legally binding and that includes the marine environment, on plastic pollution was insisted on.
Photograph: Andrew Kasuku/Getty
