Let’s say your favourite music piece is 2:44 minutes long. It doesn’t seem like a lot of time, does it? However, during the time you listen to it from beginning to end, 32,800 kilogrammes of plastic are dumped into the oceans and seas, of which 15 per cent floats and the remaining 70 per cent settles down on the ocean floor. This implies that the ecosystem that so kindly allows us to breathe is being threatened minute by minute by humans, endangering the global marine environment. Fortunately, several companies are being forced to reconsider their environmental commitments as a result of the strong collective participation of women in the defence of Mother Earth’s rights and natural resources.
The earth needs green minds to come up with innovative solutions. These four trailblazing women’s achievements are helping us inch closer to a plastic-free world. Through their work in business, education, art, and advocacy, these women have inspired a world free of plastic. Although their work is motivated by a need for change, it also eventually inspires change.
Dianna Cohen
Dianna Cohen is an artist and a climate activist. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from UCLA, where she studied biology, film, and art. She creates her legacy by combining a deep love of nature with her artistic abilities. Cohen is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) which uses plastic to make a statement in both the social and visual domains. The artist also embodies the three pillars of the PPC—educating, connecting, and advocating—in her personal life. Cohen has given speeches all throughout the world on both large and small platforms, including the UN. As a speaker, she disseminates ideas for a plastic-free, more just and sustainable world.
Nzambi Matee
It is no surprise that Nzambi Matee, who has a degree in biochemistry, training in engineering, and a strong environmental ethic, came up with a solution for recyclable and sustainable building materials. She was brought up in Kenya and realised quite early that there is an urgent need to improve waste management with immediate effect. Matee is the founder of Gjenge Makers Ltd., in Nairobi, Kenya which turns plastic trash into reasonably priced and environmentally friendly building materials. By combining her degree in mechanical engineering with her love of sustainability, she has created a worthwhile endeavour. Through her business, she manages waste and educates people about the importance of recycled materials, which is changing the face of neighbourhoods across Nairobi.
Karuna Singh
EARTHDAY.ORG inspires Karuna Singh, the Country Director of Earth Day Network. She also oversees over 25 nations as the regional director for EDO Asia. Singh is a champion in the fight against plastic as she has led several EARTHDAY.ORG events that actively seek to eliminate plastic pollution. With the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), she helped lead a 100-day campaign against plastic, where cloth was used instead of plastic for bags in markets. Committed to encouraging less plastic use, Singh co-authored an eBook outlining the laws that local governments have passed prohibiting the material. She wants to set an example for others to follow through this book and her other works.
Vili Petrova
Born and reared in Bulgaria, Vili Petrova came to Lesley University in Massachusetts to complete her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. While working as a trend forecaster, she realised quite early the profound impact of our decisions as consumers on our future. Inspired to design and create the Lena Cup, she wanted to learn more about her own health and that of the earth. Petrova reduces her menstrual cup company’s reliance on plastic by using sustainable packaging and locally produced materials. She brought her dream of the Lena Cup to life in 2015, and is still educating people about the advantages and larger effects of reusable menstruation cups.
In an effort to promote women’s health internationally, Petrova also provides menstruation cups to young girls in underdeveloped nations. The company is currently seeking to grow this donation programme. She continually researches women’s health and well-being in an effort to make the best possible products for those in need.
Image source: Daily Bruin, Ecowatch, shopiyfy