By The Green Parent
03rd October 2022
TACKLING PLASTIC POLLUTION
Lilly Platt is 13 years old and she lives in the Netherlands. She has picked up nearly quarter of a million pieces of plastic to date and runs @lillys_plastic_pickup.
“I love mythology, nature, anime, all things Japan, Asian food, astronomy, books both reference, fiction and non-fiction. When we moved to the Netherlands in 2015, a big plus for me was that my grandpa also lived here. When we first arrived, we were out for a walk and I noticed rubbish littering the footpath, the cycleway and the verge of the road. I decided to count it in Dutch (to practice!) and I got to 91 pieces in only 10 minutes of walking. We picked it up and my Grandpa told me that anything that falls to the ground will make its way to the waterways and eventually to the sea and into the plastic soup. I wanted to find out everything I could about the plastic soup and I realised just how detrimental to the environment plastic is. It isn’t biodegradable and just holds its form until it can’t anymore and then breaks to smaller and smaller pieces called microplastic. When animals eat it (mistaking it for food), it just sits in their stomach and they feel full and never eat again leading to tragic consequences.
My life changed after that walk; I now pick up every bit of plastic I see to keep it out of the environment. My grandpa or as I like to call him my ‘abuelo’, is really the living tree of knowledge. He has travelled all over the world and since I was tiny has told me tales of animals and nature. His house is full of books. He knows the answers to all my questions; and the rare times he doesn’t, he has a book to look it up! So far, some of my successes have been speaking at the UN for World Oceans Day, picking up close to 200,000 pieces of plastic and meeting and making friends with Dr Jane Goodall. I’m currently working on a documentary about my experiences.”
GET YOUR VOICE HEARD
START SMALL Know your subject, read the news, and keep up to date with the facts. Knowledge will help you, especially when people ask you questions as to why you are being an activist. It’s important to have support - I hope it is your family firstly, and then look for your local groups.
HAVE COURAGE Use social media as a tool, and never take no for an answer. Keep stating your point, don’t listen to people who say it won’t do anything. Jane Goodall told me to never stop, always go forward, as it takes just one person to make a change. If you need any advice just message me - [email protected]. Anyone who stands up for the environment, wildlife and the planet is a hero for the planet to me. Just keep going!
