The sun rises over the crystal-clear waters of the Solomon Islands, casting a warm glow on the nation’s pristine beaches and lush rainforests. But beneath the surface lies a growing menace –plastic pollution.

Solomon Islands is surrounded by some of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet. Coral reefs teem with life, providing sustenance and income to countless communities. With a population of around 700,000 and a reliance on the ocean for food, income and cultural identity, the country is vulnerable to the impacts of plastic pollution.

In August this year, the national government gazetted plastic ban regulations. They came into effect in September, with a six-month grace period. The grace period allows plastic importers and distributors to sell their current stockpile, Chief Environment Officer Wendy Beti of the Ministry of Environment said.

But leaders of the Lord Howe community in Honiara are concerned about implementation of the new law. Lawrence Makili says plastic pollution has been a nightmare for his people, who live around the Mataniko River mouth. 

“You can see women and children washing daily in this river system, despite the fact that plastic pollution from upstream always washed down here. Read more.

From the moment we awaken to the chime of our plastic alarm clock, our day is entangled in a web of plastic – from the toothbrush we use, to the shampoo bottles we squeeze, to the plastic lids on our milk cartons. But this material—so convenient and ubiquitous—is now a silent menace to the very fabric of human existence.

In the Pacific, where single-use plastics are common for their durability, convenience, and affordability,  they represent an even greater threat.

A marine plastic pollution researcher from the University of the South Pacific, Andrew Paris, says this danger is not well understood.

“This is something a lot of people don’t really know about – the insidious, toxic nature of the use of plastics that we see in everyday life,” said Andrew Paris. “That has even shocked me because I’m trying to rationalise this in my head, trying to figure out how the plastic manufacturing industry is allowed to lace everyday plastics that we use with toxic chemicals.” Read more

Kiribati Te Boboto means Kiribati the beautiful.

It’s a slogan you see almost everywhere on South Tarawa – Kiribati’s administrative capital – where solid waste management used to be a problem that had no real solution.

Today, the problem still exists but is being managed thanks to the ‘mind-altering-approach’ taken by the Environment and Conservation Division (ECD), housed under the Kiribati’s Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development (MELAD).

At the beginning of this millennium, solid waste disposal took its toll on Kiribati’s environment – mostly visible along it’s idyllic lagoon and coastline – where aluminum cans, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers, plastic bags and packaging became a common eyesore that no one could effectively address.

It wasn’t until 2004 that the Kiribati government made significant changes to its environment legislation, and the management of solid, chemical, and hazardous waste became part of Kiribati laws.

But equally important is the implementation and enforcement of the laws. That’s where garbologist Alice Leney – the ‘grand-daddy’ of Kiribati’s successful recycling program called the Kaoki Maange – enters the picture. Read more

In Fiji, a group of 15 dedicated women has been doing its part to create a  circular economy by turning plastic trash into cash. Based in the coastal village of Galoa, the Bulikula Women’s Plastics Group was formed four years ago. 

With support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO), the women have been trained in making jewellery and household decorations from various plastics that are “thrown around carelessly”. The training was conducted by creative consultant, Warwick Marlow, who has helped several other Pacific women groups earn a living from the trade. 

The women meet every Thursday at their community hall where they share creative ways in making and selling their items. Taukei said the women mainly use Vai Wai bottles because “it’s colorful and it stands out.” “We also use other plastic bottles… Fiji Water… Coke… and there is little wastage from the bottles we use,” she said. The price for their products range from as little as FJD$5 to as much as FJD$20.  Read more

It’s a fact. Plastic straws are harmful to the environment, and awareness over the harm they cause has been described as a "lightbulb moment" for the move away from single-use plastics. Terra Merita has an alternative: WASA Eco Straws which are made from rice and tapioca starch.

Terra Merita aims to “be more proactive about making sustainable, long term changes for helping our environment and building a more resilient economy.” Read more

In Kagoshima, Japan, an organisation is taking a proactive approach to floating ocean pollution, ‘sweeping’ the local port five days a week. The Kagoshima Seikoukai Marine Group is a membership organisation that operates a catamaran, the Kinko, which collect debris— from large logs to polystyrene and everything in between—to ensure shipping lanes are safe to navigate at the busy port.

The captain of the Kinko runs a tight ship. After he steers to a patch of rubbish, two deckhands wield bamboo nets, directing the collection of organic matter (bamboo fragments, driftwood, dried grass and leaves, which admittedly to our eyes look harmless), as well as plastic bags and bottles, face masks, food packets and other items. A rotating roller between the Kinko’s two bows pulls the garbage into a metal basket that is lowered into the water. When collection is complete, the basket is lifted out of the water with the rubbish contained. 

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Words: Samantha Magick, Charley Piringi, Rimon Rimon, Sera Tikotikovatu-Sefeti and Kite Pareti
Editor and Designer: Samantha Magick

This article was developed with support from Internews' Earth Journalism Network.