This month marks the first anniversary of Prevented Ocean Plastic East Africa.
In November 2024, Prevented Ocean Plastic announced the opening of a new plastic collection centre in Dar es Salaam, the largest city in the United Republic of Tanzania. The centre was the first Prevented Ocean Plastic centre in the region and is the first ever of its scale in the country.
East Africa is home to some of the world’s most biodiverse coastlines, vibrant communities, and rapidly growing economies. It is also a region where plastic waste management infrastructure has historically struggled to keep pace with consumption. Prevented Ocean Plastic East Africa was established to address this challenge at its source — by supporting local collection networks, improving material traceability, and ensuring discarded plastic is captured before it can leak into oceans and waterways.
In just one year, Prevented Ocean Plastic East Africa has become a vital part of our global mission to prevent plastic pollution, strengthen recycling systems, and create lasting social and environmental impact where it matters most.
Mr Ubeyd, the centre manager, said, “We are really happy and proud to have completed our first year as Prevented Ocean Plastic East Africa. It has been a year full of learning, improvement, and strong teamwork. Step by step, we have strengthened our operations, expanded our collection capacity, and built a more organized and motivated team. Seeing the positive impact of growth has been the biggest happiness for us.
We are excited to contribute even more to the Prevented Ocean Plastic mission. This first year has shown us what is possible, and the future looks even brighter.”
Over the past 12 months, the programme has built strong, grassroots partnerships with local collectors, aggregators and recyclers. These partnerships are the foundation of everything we do. By working directly with people on the frontlines of plastic pollution, Prevented Ocean Plastic East Africa has helped formalise collection, improve working conditions, and provide more stable incomes for those who depend on plastic collection for their livelihoods.
Prevented Ocean Plastic’s work in East Africa is also built on best practices from the other regions where the programme operates.
Looking ahead, this first anniversary is just the beginning. Plans are already underway to expand collection capacity, support more collectors, and increase the supply of high-quality recycled material from the region. With continued collaboration, Prevented Ocean Plastic East Africa will play an even greater role in preventing plastic pollution, protecting the planet, and advancing circular solutions.
Prevented Ocean Plastic™ is high quality, compliant recycled plastic that has been collected from coastal communities at risk of ocean plastic pollution. Used by supermarkets and brands around the world, it meets regulatory health and safety standards, is traceable back to source and can be identified on-pack through its distinctive triangular logo. Prevented Ocean Plastic™ supply major manufacturing partners such as Groupe Guillin, Spectra Packaging, and Berry Global for offerings across multiple product categories, including food and drink, personal care, pet products and home cleaning. Prevented Ocean Plastic™ is an award-winning, three-time Earthshot Prize nominee, and has collected over 2.5 billion plastic bottles from where they don’t belong since 2020
