As we mark World Environment Day, the world faces a significant challenge with plastic pollution, posing harm year after year not only to people but also to the environment and marine life.
Ending plastic pollution needs more than support for environmental conservation efforts and commitments. It starts with people recognising the urgent need to get organised locally to start cleaning actions, raise awareness to change people’s behaviours towards plastics and foster a sense of responsibility in the fight against plastic pollution that is destroying the environment and people’s livelihoods.
Like many other places worldwide, Belize faces a significant challenge from plastic pollution, which is affecting its environment both on land and in the water.
One of our members, Humana People to People Belize (HPPBZ), empowers local communities to actively participate in solving plastic pollution through democratic and sustainable local structures established by the people themselves, collectively prioritising the well-being of the planet while laying the foundation for a circular economy to improve their lives.
The Full Circle Belize project contributes to reducing plastic pollution in Belize through community outreach, youth capacity-building, and entrepreneurship development. Using a locally based and youth-led approach, the project provides the public with environmental education while collecting and transforming the region's plastic waste into affordable products.
In 2024, the project installed 15 new plastic collection bins across 10 communities, held educational campaigns and school outreach and reached over 600 students with messages on plastic waste, marine protection, and recycling. Nine community campaigns and two social media efforts raised awareness and promoted sustainable practices. The project also launched a Biodiversity Guardians Network of 40 young leaders to champion local environmental action. All these efforts resulted in the recovery of more than two tons of plastic waste.
Achieving a plastic-free world is not an easy task; it requires people to remain committed to repeating climate actions again and again because people themselves are the most powerful force for positive change. Humana People to People Belize continues to directly contribute to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including responsible consumption, marine and terrestrial protection, and climate action to spark behaviour change and reduce environmental harm.
