Sierra Leone warns of plastic waste health risks
Government officials cite environmental and tourism threats from pollution, urging public action and greener businesses.
Government officials in Sierra Leone have raised serious concerns about the health and environmental dangers posed by plastic waste. Senior Permanent Secretary Judith C. Jones stated that plastic pollution directly threatens the nation's beaches, a key tourism asset. The Go Circular 2026 initiative, themed “Green Actions, New Jobs,” aims to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic waste for a cleaner country.
Jones described the growing enthusiasm for circularity as encouraging, noting the movement involves national and international actors. She emphasized the need for greener businesses to combat plastic waste and urged school children to become agents of change. The Ministry of Tourism is collaborating with innovators to establish a mini-recycling facility along the coastline, acknowledging that waste management begins with individual responsible disposal.
The Deputy Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Mima Yema Mimi Sobba-Stephens, linked cleanliness to health, tourism, and national pride, urging citizens to embrace new habits. She explained that "going circular" means rethinking how everyday items are used and disposed of, highlighting that changing habits will help clean the country.
Why it mattersPlastic waste poses direct environmental and health threats to Sierra Leoneans and marine life, impacting livelihoods and the nation's tourism assets.