Mr Steven TROTT

Projects Manager, Watamu Marine Association

Steve Trott is a marine conservation manager and scientist and a circular plastics industry innovator, based in the Watamu MPA in Kenya. Through Watamu Marine Association and Ecoworld Recycling, plastic waste value chains have grown by creating a dynamic partnership between the tourism industry and local community groups. The groups provide waste management services to beachfront hotels by cleaning beaches and recycling both marine plastic and hotels plastic waste at Ecoworld. Machine crushed plastic is sold onwards to larger recyclers in Mombasa, and is also used in injection molding to make key rings and other novel products for sale in hotels and tourist outlets. Plastic bottles are also up-cycled to build walls in constructions. This social enterprise is expanding operations along the Kenyan coast, providing socio-economic benefits and reducing marine plastic impacts.