Plastic pollution is one of today’s most urgent environmental challenges—and a new study says solutions must come from within communities, not just labs or policy circles.
Researchers from the National Oceanography Centre, the University of Portsmouth and others are calling for a fundamental shift in how science engages with the public.
Their new paper urges scientists to treat communities as equal partners in tackling ocean plastics, rather than passive recipients of information.
“Communities are dynamic, diverse, and already playing critical roles,” said Dr Alice Horton of the National Oceanography Centre. “Top-down approaches are no longer enough.”
The research outlines four community types—geographical, practical, virtual, and circumstantial—and calls for new “rules of engagement” based on co-design, local knowledge, and cultural understanding.
Examples include citizen science, participatory art and legislative theatre, such as a Kenyan play co-created by waste pickers and researchers to highlight exclusion from policymaking.
Dr Cressida Bowyer from the University of Portsmouth said: “We’ve seen examples from Kenya to the Philippines where grassroots actions lead the way.”
The study lands just ahead of UN plastics treaty talks in Geneva this august where 175 countries will try again to negotiate a global framework for plastic regulation.
Researchers warn the talks risk marginalising indigenous and non-Western voices if inclusive models aren’t adopted.
Professor Lesley Henderson from the University of Strathclyde added: “Lack of formal education does not equal lack of knowledge. Scientists must be careful not to conflate the two.”
The researchers argue that addressing plastic pollution demands collaboration rooted in social understanding—because when communities lead, real change follows.
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