Meet OceanKita: tackling marine plastic in Indonesia
Around 13 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year, making floating plastic debris one of the worst forms of global ecological distress. Our partner Empower has activities in over 60 countries, many in Africa and Asia, that clean up plastic and restore marine environments.
Indonesia is one of the world's most significant contributors to this problem - with an estimated 700,000 tonnes of plastic leaking into rivers and seawater every year. We are pleased to announce Empower's collaboration with local organisation OceanKita, that since early 2022 has been acting to address this problem.
Here's how OceanKita operate:
OceanKita's innovative technological solution
OceanKita has harnessed innovation to find the right technology to collect marine debris. With a special trawl-net collector equipment, they are able to pick marine debris, and later sort the marine waste. OceanKita collects and collaborates with communities to offer marine waste cleanup services in remote locations of Indonesia, where waste management is deficient or nonexistent. So far in 2022 OceanKita has collected about 3 tons of marine plastic waste and now employs 5 people.
Engagement and civil society mobilisation
OceanKita believes in collaborating with local communities to tackle the plastic waste issue locally. Fishermen communities are engaged in trainings to use low-tech technologies to collect marine debris in nearby coastal waters. It is crucial for them to scale up and intensify the collections and re-create clean Indonesian coastal areas.
How Pinwheel can help
Feeling inspired? Fund plastic waste collection efforts In Indonesia - and elsewhere - through our partnership with Empower, making a real impact on local people lives and the environment.
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