As the world commemorates World Environment Day 2025 under the theme “Putting an End to Plastic Pollution”, World Vision Kenya (WVK) joins the call for urgent and collective action to address the escalating plastic pollution crisis. This is not just an environmental concern, it is a threat to the health, safety, and future of our children.
The Depth of the Crisis
• Globally, over 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced every year, with two-thirds used in short-lived applications such as packaging. Yet less than 9% is recycled, leaving the vast majority to pollute our environment (UNEP, 2024).
• In Kenya, 22,000 tonnes of waste are generated daily, and 20% of this is plastic. In urban areas like Nairobi, plastic makes up nearly 30% of daily waste, yet only 8% is recycled, with the rest either incinerated or left to contaminate the land and water (AWF, 2024).
Plastic pollution disproportionately affects Kenya’s most vulnerable populations, particularly children living in informal settlements and arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), where poor waste management and environmental degradation collide. The highest rates of malnutrition, stunting, anaemia, and underweight among children in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties are closely linked to the severe impacts of climate change, environmental degradation, and related hazards that disproportionately affect these regions. These children face increased risks of exposure to toxic chemicals, contaminated water and food, and suffer long-term health impacts from pollution linked to open burning and improper plastic waste disposal.
“Children are increasingly facing environmental and climate-related disasters that threaten their well-being and that of their families. Plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue — it’s a crisis impacting the health, safety, and future of our children,” said Gilbert Kamanga, National Director, World Vision Kenya. “Ending plastic pollution is essential to creating a safe, healthy, and sustainable future for every child and the communities they call home.”
In response, WVK has prioritized environmental sustainability and climate resilience as key pillars of its FY21–25 Strategy, implemented through the Child Learning and Household Resilience Technical Programme. This includes:
• Deployment of clean energy solutions (e.g., improved cookstoves and solar lighting) to reduce plastic-based fuel use and deforestation.
• Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), agroforestry, and climate-smart agriculture to restore ecosystems and enhance food security.
• Awareness campaigns on plastic reduction and sustainable consumption practices. • Waste management advocacy to strengthen local policy and promote recycling systems.
• Multi-stakeholder partnerships with government, private sector, academia, and communities.
Our Impact:
• 168,000+ hectares of degraded land have been restored.
• 130,000+ households have been supported with resilience interventions. • Over 500,000 individuals have been positively impacted in more than 20 counties of Kenya.
• Thousands of children, women, and youth are empowered through eco-friendly livelihoods and environmental education.
• There is a scaled adoption of FMNR and clean energy across WVK’s Area Programmes.
WVK calls on the Government of Kenya, development partners, the private sector, civil society, faith-based organizations, and all citizens to unite in ending plastic pollution by:
• Enforcing bans and regulations on the use of plastics.
• Investing in recycling infrastructure and circular economy models.
• Scaling up public education and community-based waste solutions.
• Supporting grassroots innovations that reduce plastic dependency.
“On this World Environment Day, we thank all our partners whose support continues to empower communities, protect vulnerable children, and restore hope and dignity. Together, we are not only preserving the environment, we are also shaping a more resilient and sustainable future for generations to come,” said Dr. David Githanga, Board Chair, World Vision Kenya.