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Rebecca Prince-Ruiz
To investigate innovative programs of raising awareness,
management and solutions to plastic pollution - USA,
Netherlands, UK, Hong Kong
My Fellowship itinerary involved meeting with individuals and
organisations working on the plastic pollution issue across a
wide spectrum with each one providing valuable insights and
learnings.
I am so grateful for this incredible
opportunity to travel, learn and
connect with others who are so
passionate about the plastic
pollution issue.”
Plastic pollution is a significant problem with environmental,
economic and social costs – particularly in the world’s oceans.
To fully raise awareness of the problem there needs to be
collaboration around both effort and data collection. The focus
on the problem needs to move beyond the ocean and beaches
to the source in terms of choices and decisions that are made
upstream. In Australia a range of organisations are working on
the problem but need to come together at a national level to
achieve results.
Pictured below Rebecca visited
the town of Bristol in the UK to
participate in their refill initiative
that offers 200 ‘water refill’
locations to reduce the purchase
of single-use water bottles
There is no one single solution to the plastic pollution problem.
It will take a range of solutions across all three categories of
collection, management and reduction, involving all
stakeholders of governments, corporations and communities.
The volume of plastic production, the ubiquitous nature of
disposable plastic and the habits of modern consumerism mean
that the problem is larger than any one organisation or
stakeholder.
Thus collaboration, and a connected approach which shares
solutions, is required to avoid duplication, to maximise efforts
and shift plastic material flows from the current linear system
to a truly circular economy. The “Heading Upstream” diagram
created as part of my Fellowship provides a useful framework to
visualise the diverse array of solutions and a shared picture of
the issue and directions needing to be taken.
Dissemination of my findings has been ongoing by sharing ideas
and solutions through the Plastic Free July campaign. I will
continue to share my findings during a series of over a dozen
talks to other waste educators, teachers, community groups,
local government, schools, professional networks and public
events in Perth, the southwest of WA and Melbourne in the
middle of 2016.
Pictured right Despite the
Hawai’i Wildlife Fund having
‘cleaned’ Kamilo Beach, Hawaii
Island two weeks prior, this
was the plastic debris
Rebecca saw on her first
visit to the beach
Pictured left
Plastic debri found in
the stomach of a seabird in Hawaii!
In addition, I have had the opportunity to share my knowledge
through writing for a number of newspapers, magazines and
online publications in Australia and overseas as the direct result
of my Fellowship.
Download Rebecca’s full report from our website
churchilltrust.com.au/fellows/detail/4064/Rebecca+Prince-Ruiz
Pictured above Rebecca had the opportunity
to meet engaged, motivated and ethusiastic
young people at the Plastic Ocean Pollution
Solutions (POPS) International Youth Summit
who are passionate about this issue
28
2016 Churchill Fellows