UN-Habitat — Leaving No One Behind

Overview

A visually immersive, scroll-driven web experience produced for UN-Habitat — translating a dense policy report into an engaging public-facing story about plastic pollution and the 15 million people in the Informal Waste and Recovery Sector (IWRS) who quietly keep the world's waste systems running.

The site accompanies the Leaving No One Behind report, published in partnership with UN-Habitat and NIVA, advocating for a just transition for informal waste workers ahead of global plastic pollution treaty negotiations.

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Problem

A critical policy report on global plastic pollution and informal waste workers needed to reach beyond academic and governmental circles. A PDF alone wouldn't cut it — the data and human stories needed a format that could inform, move, and mobilize a broader audience.

• Dense content — complex statistics and policy language needed to be made accessible
• Human impact — the stories of 15 million workers needed to feel real, not abstract
• Global reach — needed to work cleanly across devices and load fast for international audiences

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Solution

A scrollytelling microsite that brings the report to life through layered visuals, motion, and progressive data reveals — built lean and fast with SvelteKit.

Key Features

• Scroll-driven storytelling — content and visuals animate into view as the user scrolls, guiding them through the narrative
• Video background — cinematic opening with background video setting the tone
• Data callouts — key statistics (2.4 billion tonnes of waste, 60 million tonnes of plastic, 15 million IWRS workers) surfaced as bold visual moments
• Report download CTA — direct link to the full UN-Habitat PDF throughout the experience
• Fully responsive — optimized layout across mobile and desktop

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Outcome

• 📖 Report amplified — complex policy content made accessible to a general audience
• 🌍 Global audience — fast, lightweight build suitable for international reach
• 🎨 Narrative-first design — data and human stories presented with visual weight they deserve
• 📱 Responsive — seamless experience across all screen sizes

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Tech Stack

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Conclusion

This project is a strong example of using the web as a storytelling medium — where a static report becomes an experience. SvelteKit's lightweight output made it ideal for a globally distributed audience, while the scroll-driven design gives the data and the people behind it the visual gravity they deserve.