A few months ago, I was contacted by Lilly, an inspiring 9-year-old girl who is on a mission to rid the world of plastic waste.
Lilly will be coming to the coast of Norway next month (25-26 April) to take part in a massive beach-clean up, along with volunteers from around the world.
You can read more about Lilly's story below:
Nine‑year‑old travels to Norway for massive plastic waste clean-up
A nine‑year‑old environmentalist is travelling nearly 1,000 kilometres from Holland to the Norwegian coast, to take part in a massive beach clean‑up and plastic waste conference.
Lilly Platt, together with her mother and grandfather, will be joining other volunteers at the Plastic Whale Coastal Clean‑Up and Conference on 25 April on the Norwegian island of Sotra.
Photo © Ruud Voest. https://www.ruudvoest.nl/
The event is taking place in memory of the ‘Plastic Whale’, a Cuvier’s beaked whale that died on the Norwegian coast last year, its stomach full of more than 30 plastic bags.
Lilly says: “I am very excited to take part, and to do all I can to help Norway and the world by picking up as much plastic waste as possible.
“The natural world is the only one we have. It’s our duty to treat the creatures in it with respect, and to live in harmony with them.”
As well as helping to clean up the island’s coastline, the nine‑year‑old will be attending a high‑profile conference on plastic waste the day afterwards, together with key figures in the environmental movement.
Environmentalists from around the world will gather to discuss the growing problem of plastic waste, and how to protect our coastlines from further pollution.
Photos from a recent clean-up on the Norwegian coastline.
Lilly is a staunch campaigner for environmental causes, and has been involved many plastic pick‑ups in recent years.
She has been chosen as a Youth Ambassador for the Plastic Pollution Coalition, and a Child Ambassador for HOW Global.
Lilly says: “I started picking up rubbish after seeing the effect that it had on wildlife. I knew that every piece I picked up, was one less piece that could harm a living creature.”
The beach clean in April will see volunteers from all over the world coming together to clear up what was once a pristine part of Norway’s coastline. They will be supported by the Norwegian government, which is providing cranes and other equipment to remove the heaviest waste items.
The beach clean and conference were initiated by Kenneth Bruvik, an environmentalist who has been involved in coastal waste pick‑ups for many years. The event is organized by a collaboration of 28 organisations, with Kenneth acting as a mentor.
Kenneth recalls his reaction last year when a whale, later to be called the ‘Plastic Whale’, washed up on a beach near where he lives, its stomach full of plastic.
“It hit me hard. I was crying, I was angry, and I said, ‘This is going to stop.’
“I have grandchildren who are young now, and I don’t want them to grow up in a world like this. It’s unacceptable.”
The Norwegian government will be helping volunteers to clean up the coast at the event on 25 April.
He is excited about the conference, and sees it as part of groundswell of support across the globe for tackling single‑use plastics and the pollution they cause.
“I hope the Plastic Whale conference will act as a catalyst. When people from across the globe come together and speak in the same voice, it sends a powerful message.
“It says to politicians, to governments and to countries around the world that we have had enough, and we want plastic pollution to stop.”
If you would like to know more about the Plastic Whale Coastal Clean‑up and Conference, or would like to support this event in April, check in on this webpage: https://events.provisoevent.no/websites/f0454f9b-e199-4396-9421-55a397f1aab3/