Tangled in Plastic: The SDG 14 Horror

Places once believed to carry so much power by many black African communities are being reduced to dustbins and landfills.

By Pheliswa Msele

Published April 9, 2026

For centuries, large bodies of water have been regarded as sacred places by a number of black African communities. From being sources of healing to being vital connections to the spiritual realm, water has been used for far more than just quenching thirst. How then, have places which have been believed to hold so much power, so much connection, been reduced to dustbins and landfills? Could it because humanity has become less spiritually connected to nature with many traditional practices being dismissed as just superstitions , therefore less care about water, or could it be the growth of the commercial sector and the popularity of takeaways and plastics? Or is it merely a lack of education on the importance of oceans and the importance of properly disposing of plastic items?

It is fortunate that there are children's books which speak on such issues. A children's book by Zandile Ndhlovu titled Zandi's Song, teaches and addresses plastic pollution in a simple yet thoughtful manner to children. In the book, Zandi, the protagonist, is being told by the ocean the history of the relationship between the community and sea creatures, and how that relationship came to an end because of colonialists and water pollution. The ocean goes on to tell Zandi that when she gets back home, she must let her people know of the importance of keeping the waters clean. The author, who is also South Africa's first black female freediving instructor, continues to fight for environmental stewardship in her activism, and an echoing striking statement she said in one of her panel discussions, which is a simple fact that many should be more aware of, is how "SDG 14 remains the least funded." SDG 14, according to the United Nations South Africa pertains to Life below water. Life below water transcends from the known such as dolphins seaweed, algae, to the unknown yet mysteries waiting to be discovered. Water pollution threatens these organisms and leads to their erosion and ultimately extinction. Various industries including medical, automotive, food and beverages and retail use plastics within their operations. Single use plastics are the biggest contributors to plastic pollution. The big environmental justice organization, Greenpeace, calls out specifically Coca-Cola as the biggest contributor to plastic pollution. An article by Oceana reads, "A peer-reviewed study in the journal Science found that Coca-Cola was the number one polluter of branded plastic found in the environment." These plastics consist mostly of microplastics, which come from items that include bottle and bottle caps among others.

Now, why is it important that we protect water when we live on land? Surely our focus should be more on land than the sea? Well, oceans and water serve a much bigger purpose than just quenching thirst. Oceans are homes to various sea creatures that serve as food to humans. Fish, crabs, shrimps and many others inhabit oceans. Human health remains at risk as long as marine life is in danger.

The ocean is a massive contributor of oxygen as a lot of marine plants engage in photosynthesis. Microplastics contribute to deoxygenaton of oceans. Deoxygenation, according to Collins Dictionary, refers to the process of removing oxygen from a substance, such as water or air. A recent study published in Nature demonstrated that microplastic ingestion by zooplankton can accelerate oxygen loss in the oceans. This happens because when  zooplankton consume microplastics, they may eat less of their natural food, which can affect the production of organic matter that sinks  and consumes oxygen as it decomposes in the deep ocean.

Plastic pollution has various negative consequences including on the ecological and socio-economic aspects. A 2020 journal article by Heliyon states, in simple terms, that plastic pollution in the ocean has severe ecological effects, including entanglement, toxic ingestion, suffocation, and disreuption of marine life. It also alters ecosystems, leading to loss of biodiversity and essential services. 

Moreover, these impacts extend to socio-economic aspects, affecting industries like tourism and fishing, as well as human health, ultimately threatening the well-being of both the environment and human communities. So, plastic pollution does not end with sea animals dying, but it extends to human life in multiple ways.

What are some strategies we can implement to reduce the number of plastics that wind up in oceans and other water sources, threatening not just marine life, but our lives as humans as well? Boycotting has been proven to work in some instances, but when such big brands that have built such large platforms, formed emotional connections with consumers, and can afford losing some million dollars for a few weeks are the subject, there is little hope in it sufficing. Not to mention the unreliability of consumers themselves in a culture where it is easy to jump into action the first few days of trends but the moment a cause slowly loses traction everything goes back to the way it was, including consumer routines.

Initiatives, policies, legislations et cetera, play a vital role in the protection of marine life from harmful pollutants. Big and small environmental justice organizations, environmental activists, as well as governments should work together in the fight for safer, healthier and cleaner oceans. 

Education on the importance of oceans, marine life, and water sources in general, should be taught on a larger scale. This includes education and promotion of reusable plastics or sustainably made packaging. The availability of such packaging should be widespread to make it easier for consumers to access them.

Imagine a world without dolphins, seaweed turtles, sharks, or the mesmerizing beauty of the ocean. Not a good sight right? That is why we should all do our part in protecting our waters.