A new app is aiming to help young people in Trinidad and Tobago, along with other small-island developing states, counter the damage done by plastic pollution. Called Tide Turners, the app was developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with the help of young people. It challenges users to record their plastics consumption and develop an action plan to reduce their use of the material.
Among other things, it encourages people to switch to reusable products and go plastic-free where possible, lifestyle changes that experts say can help stem the flow of plastic into the world’s oceans, which has reached crisis levels.
To tackle the plastic pollution challenge, the new app builds on UNEP’s Tide Turners Plastic Challenge Badge, which has so far engaged more than 500,000 young people involved in youth groups like the Scouts and the Guides. Along with calling on youth to use less plastic, it encourages them to start advocacy campaigns and raise awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution.
The app was developed under the UNEP-led ISLANDS Programme, which is funded by the Global Environment Facility. The app includes a leader board and story-sharing functionality, allowing young people to track and share their progress in countering plastic pollution. The app was developed in collaboration with young people from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and is targeted at those aged 12–25.
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