Hey, students! The world has a big plastic pollution problem on its hands. And there’s a creative way for you to be part of the solution.
Environmental Defence’s Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE) Canada program has just launched its annual eco-journalism competition for youth. The theme for this year’s competition is: Your Solution to Plastic Pollution.
For the competition, Canadian youth (ages 11-14 and 15-18) are invited to investigate solutions to plastic pollution in their communities, and share what they found through photography, videography, or writing. The deadline for this year’s competition is March 30, 2018.
Winners will be published by Alternatives Journal magazine. First place winners in each category will go on to compete in the International Young Reporters for the Environment Competition, run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
Plastic pollution is getting out of control
Plastic pollution is one of the fastest growing problems on the planet. Here’s a quick look at how big this problem really is:
- An entire garbage truck’s worth of plastic waste is dumped into our oceans every minute.
- Nearly 80 per cent of litter in the Great Lakes is plastic.
- 500 billion plastic bags are used around the world every year.
- One million plastic bottles are purchased around the world every minute.
- In Ontario, 1.5 billion plastic bottles end up in the trash or in the environment every year.
- About 50 per cent of the plastic items around the world are only used once and then are tossed in the garbage.
The good news is that there are solutions. So, grab a camera and/or your notebook, and head out into your community and start exploring.
Tips to help you get started
Not sure of how to get started with your story? We can help! We have lots of great free resources on our website to help you craft your plastic pollution stories, including handbooks and instructional videos.
Visit youngreporters.ca to learn more. And good luck!
P.S. Teachers – we also have free resources to help you incorporate YRE into your lesson plans this year.