Tide Turners Plastic Badge Challenge

During her visit to Kenya in August 2018, Theresa May launched a UK partnership with UN Environment to develop a Young Leaders Plastic Challenge Badge. In Phase 1 the programme developed the training material for a plastic challenge badge, this was then undertaken in four African countries (Ghana, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania). Over 30,000 young leaders engaged in the programme which saw a real impact in countries like Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana where Scouts were actively involved in influencing national policy change about legislation around single-use plastic bags. Phase 2 aims to build upon the work successfully completed in phase 1, by reaching communities in many of the countries with the greatest issues with plastic pollution. The programme will expand the badge into a further 15 countries engaging up to an additional 300,000 young people and leave a legacy for the future years. Empowering young people remains a priority for the UK Government, and through HMG’s international work on marine litter, we have an opportunity to inspire young leaders in tackling marine plastic pollution. Now that the success of badge has been demonstrated through the pilot phase, there is a platform to secure deeper participation in other key countries in Africa and Asia Pacific. This work supports the UK’s domestic and global leadership to eliminate all avoidable single use plastics as set out in the HMG’s 25 Year Environment Plan and work with other countries to drive global ambition to protect and enhance the world’s oceans in support of UN SDG 14. Raising public awareness and effecting behaviour change is a key component of the global effort to reduce plastic pollution. Young people are a key demographic to engage, and one that we currently struggle to reach. The Scouts and Girl guiding Associations are uniquely placed to do this outreach, with combined total global membership of 65 million young people.