Publications

This study demonstrates how plastic waste and marine plastic pollution pose unique challenges to coastal communities, impacting a variety of human well-being attributes through both direct and indirect pathways, including physical and mental health, food and economic security, cultural practice, and environmental quality. Under this study, the results from semi-structured surveys and focus group interviews implemented in two coastal communities in Ghana demonstrate the multitude of ways that local people are impacted by plastic waste. employs a framework to assess the well-being of plastic waste via a grounded approach where well-being is defined by respondents based on their lived experience. Across these communities, respondents also illustrated how plastic waste influenced their well-being, including their livelihoods, environmental quality, cultural practices, and physical and mental health. The study also highlights how marine plastic pollution influences an individual’s sense of agency, resilience, and vulnerability in both positive and negative ways. These findings also emphasise the importance of involving local voices throughout the design and implementation processes of plastics policies to ensure effective and equitable policy outcomes.