Join the Rubbish Campaign
We’re facing mountains of plastic pollution. 2 billion people have no safe way to dispose of rubbish. People living in poverty are suffering the worst impacts of this rubbish problem.
They are forced to live and work among piles of waste, which is making them sick, releasing toxic fumes, flooding communities and causing up to a million deaths each year.
Plastic pollution clogs up the river running through Kinshasa.
The 1st of March was International Waste Pickers Day, and Tearfund – Bin Twinning’s parent charity – headed to Parliament to launch their Rubbish Campaign. Reminding the UK Government that plastic pollution kills!
Two billion people have no safe way to dispose of rubbish, meaning many are forced to dump or burn it. This is making people sick, releasing toxic fumes, flooding communities and causing up to a million deaths a year – that’s one person dying every 30 seconds.
Those doing the most to address this crisis – 20 million waste pickers – are often working in dangerous conditions, for little pay and no recognition, despite collecting 60% of all the plastic that gets recycled globally.
The United Nations Plastics Treaty must fully address the impacts of plastic pollution on people living in poverty.
What is the Plastics Treaty?
In March 2022, UN member states agreed to develop a legally binding UN Treaty on plastic pollution. Work began the second half of 2022, with the ambition of completing it by the end of 2024.
The legally-binding treaty deals with the root causes of plastic pollution, not just the symptoms. It will address the entire life cycle of plastics, from design to production and disposal.
Climate Activist and friend of Bin Twinning Less Waste Laura and Tearfund supporters petition outside of House of Parliament. 1st March 2023.
We’re halfway through the treaty time period and momentum can’t be lost!
Bin Twinning are supporting Tearfund in their petition calling on the UK Government to ensure the plastics treaty helps end the world’s rubbish problem!
Nearly 200 governments are meeting to develop the first-ever global treaty on plastic pollution. But it’s not a done deal.
Please add your voice to demand an end to plastic pollution and its harmful impact on people living in poverty.
Sign Tearfund’s petition today.
Follow LessWasteLaura’s social media channels to keep up to date with Tearfund and Bin Twinning’s involvement in the Plastic Treaty!
Bin Twinning recently visited waste-collectors who we work with in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Helene is a waste-collector living in Kinshasa, the capital city of the DRC.
Portrait of Helene piling up the rubbish to weigh and sell to a local social enterprise in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
‘We collect rubbish at Gambela (a market in Kinshasa).
‘Ever since we started collecting the rubbish free of charge, the sellers were so delighted because the environment became so clean. We are the ones responsible for the cleanliness of the environment.’
Bin Twinning funded the start up of a social enterprise run by our partners ECC in Kinshasa. ECC pays waste-collectors to collect plastic rubbish that is turned into paving bricks.
‘We were so delighted by the arrival of the ECC (Tearfund and Bin Twinning’s partner in Kinshasa) because in the past we had to travel a long distance to sell the rubbish. Now the ECC members themselves come to us to buy the rubbish which means we no longer have to go long distance searching for clients.’
Jeanne, at the ECC factory where plastic bottles are recycled into paving bricks.
Location: Kinshasa, DRC
‘This hugely impacted our lives because we no longer have to do any other activity to earn a living. Before I was a vendor and I couldn’t earn enough. Ever since I committed myself to rubbish-collecting to earn a living I’m able to provide for my family, food, et cetera. We were provided with work equipment, gloves and boots to protect us from diseases, and help us work in good conditions with these. We could even work in the mud freely because we were protected.’