Scouts Take on the Tide Turners Plastic Challenge

UN Environment held the first cohort of the Trainers of Trainers workshop under the Plastic Challenge Badge programme in collaboration with the UK Government. The training took place at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi on 13-14 February 2019 with Scouts, Girl Guides, Junior Achievers, and University students as participants. The challenge aims at providing tangible and fun ways for young people to reduce the use of single use plastics in their homes, schools and communities. It also elaborates how reducing plastic waste will contribute to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Tide Turners Plastic Challenge aims at putting youth at the centre of its talking plastic pollution, whilst encouraging them to believe that they can make a difference in the world.  The challenge develops leadership skills and to enable young people make impact on issues that matter, from cutting back on our use of single-use plastic to recycling more effectively and finding sustainable alternatives to plastics and plastic pollution. The challenge is organised into three levels; Entry Level, Leader Level and Champion Level.

The trainees reviewed the Plastic Tide Turners Challenge draft principles and the toolkit, prepared and practiced the Trainers of Trainers design, made pledges and developed work plans. This workshop was part of the ongoing partnership between World Scouting and UN Environment which will see the next Trainers of Trainers workshops in the pilot phase held in Uganda, Tanzania and Ghana.

Are you interested in the challenge?

Step 1: Audit your plastic habits.

• Does plastic rule your life or is your plastic footprint microscopic? Or are you somewhere in the middle? Take an audit using this audit form

Step 2: Take action to cut down your plastic usage

• Reduce, reuse or replace your plastic items.

• Cut 5 single use plastic items from your life and share what alternatives you ended up using

Step 3: Share that you are a Tide Turner

• Completed the challenge? make sure you shout about it and let the world know
• What was fun about the challenge?
• Did you inspire anyone else?
• Invite your friends to take the challenge