Last week, WildAid launched a new public campaign in China to reduce single-use plastics by encouraging consumers to bring their own reusable water bottles, cutlery and shopping bags to work and shops. This Be a #BYOer campaign is a partnership between WildAid, China Green Carbon Foundation and China Association for NGO Cooperation.
This is the latest initiative under the “action starts the movement” campaign, led by one of China’s most popular celebrities, actor and singer Wang Yibo. The campaign aims to inspire action with simple steps everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint through daily lifestyle choices.
“While we accept the convenience brought by single-use plastics, we should also consider their impact on the environment. Small actions can have big impacts,” said Wang Yibo. The star is helping to promote positive lifestyle choices to the public and his 38 million social media followers. In its first week, the campaign earned 14 features on state and news media and over 229 million views and 3.6 million discussions/mentions across social media platforms, the majority of these on Weibo, China’s second-biggest platform.
Up to 50 percent of plastic is made for single-use purposes, utilized for just a few moments but remaining on the planet for several hundred years. According to UNEP, only nine percent of the plastic waste the world has ever produced has been recycled. Most ends up in landfills, dumps, or in the environment. According to CIEL, nearly every piece of plastic begins as a fossil fuel, and greenhouse gases are emitted during each stage of the plastic lifecycle. If plastic production and use grow as currently planned, by 2030, these emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year, which is the equivalent to the emissions released by more than 295 new 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants.
“This campaign has perfect timing, as it comes on the heels of China’s announcement to go carbon neutral by 2060, an effort that will require extraordinary action by not only the government and industry but by the individual as well.” said Yu Chong, the Chief Representative of WildAid China.
“We expect that the Be a #BYOer campaign could help the public to better understand the link between plastic and climate change as well as China’s plastic reduction policy and increase the willingness to reduce single-use plastic,” said Liu Jiashun, Secretary General of the China Green Carbon Foundation.
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WildAid is a non-profit organization with a mission to protect wildlife from illegal trade and other imminent threats. While most wildlife conservation groups focus on protecting animals from poaching, WildAid primarily works to reduce global consumption of wildlife products such as elephant ivory, rhino horn and shark fin soup. With an unrivaled portfolio of celebrity ambassadors and a global network of media partners, WildAid leverages more than $308 million in annual pro-bono media support with a simple message: When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too.
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