A 12-year-old climate champion has been honoured after launching a shop that trades single-use plastic for bags of rice and school stationery.
Licypriya Kangujam is one of the world's youngest environmental campaigners. She first came to global prominence when addressing world leaders at Cop25 in 2019 and the World Economic Forum a year later.
The dedicated activist, who lives in India’s capital New Delhi, has been busy in recent months playing her own part in tackling the climate crisis.
She aims to take the concept of a kiosk she started on her school campus global to reject single-use plastic.
Action for Nature president
Ms Kangujam’s project was recently selected for the International Young Eco-Hero Award by Action for Nature, a non-profit group that recognises the effort of young people, aged eight to 16 years, to address climate change.
“My main message is, bring me plastic you will use only once and in return I will give you something you can use many times,” said Ms Kangujam in an interview with The National from New Delhi.
“I started my shop because I believe young or old, we can do small things that can make a big difference.
“I don’t want Mother Nature to be treated poorly by big polluters, big leaders and politicians."
Ms Kangujam hit the headlines in December last year when she was removed from the Cop28 venue at Expo City Dubai after disrupting a key session.
“I wanted more people to listen so I went up on the Cop28 stage in Dubai to protest and remind our leaders about pollution and to save our planet.”
She remains determined to make her voice heard and is showing the benefits of taking tangible action.
Meaningful trade
The passionate environmental activist began the Plastic Money Shop two years ago at the Prometheus School in Noida, northern India.
Children and adults queue up at the solar-powered kiosk to deposit plastic bottles, bags, plates, bowls and straws.
If a pupil brings in 1kg of plastic, she hands over a 2kg bag of rice, 500g plastic waste will be exchanged for a plant sapling or a notebook and a single plastic bottle will earn a pencil or eraser.
Ms Kangujam sends the plastic waste to green companies she has partnered with in India’s Rajasthan state.
This is recycled into floor tiles, school benches and desks that she either donates or sells to schools.
She buys stationery, rice and plants for the store with the money raised from selling recycled products to schools.
Any cash awards and reimbursement money she receives when she travels for functions also goes towards stocking the store.
The project is attracting attention in India with messages from educational institutions asking her to bring the kiosk to their city.
Ms Kangujam hopes the idea will take root overseas too.
“I really want there to be meaningful change and I would love other people to start similar work,” said the campaigner who turns 13 in October.
“I take my shop to different schools and to events. I have got emails from kids in India and abroad asking how they can start the same shop.”
Power of young people
California-based non-profit organisation Action for Nature said the young campaigner’s project stood out among hundreds of applications as it showed the “incredible impact” young people can have.
“Licypriya’s project is a testament to the power of youth-led initiatives in driving real, tangible change,” said Beryl Kay, the group’s president.
“By creating a system where plastic waste can be exchanged for essential goods, she has found a creative way to engage communities in environmental action.
“Her work not only raises awareness but also motivates people to actively participate in reducing plastic waste. Projects like hers remind us that age is not a barrier to making a difference.”
Other awards were won by children who launched campaigns to convince schools to replace styrofoam lunch trays with eco-friendly alternatives, turned home gardens into wildlife sanctuaries and built early warning sensors to save lives from deadly tornadoes.
The award gives Ms Kangujam the chance to engage a global audience with her message on climate education.
“My mission is to eliminate single-use plastic from our planet,” she said.
“It is a major crisis. Plastic is a good product but we as human beings have made it bad because of how we use it. I want to raise awareness so people have more knowledge.”
The climate champion has big dreams linked to tree-planting drives and climate education programmes she advocates governments should implement.
“I’m working on reaching out to governments including the Indian government to pass a climate change law to control carbon emissions and greenhouse gases,” she said.
“I believe climate education should be in every school curriculum so young children learn more. I also ask students to plant 10 trees every year.”
Global crisis
Plastics that are used for a few minutes can last for hundreds of years emitting chemicals that disintegrate into microplastics harming health and killing wildlife.
A million plastic bottles are used every minute, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.
The UN has committed to deliver a legally binding agreement by the end of this year to transform how countries produce and dispose of plastic.
Professor Chandan Ghosh is Ms Kangujam’s mentor and said the vision of young people is the key to creating change.
“I have been with Licypriya on her activities in many cities and even in villages and seen so many children just come to listen to her,” said Prof Ghosh, a retired Indian government official who headed the federal disaster management department.
“I connected with her when she was just 7-years-old, asking questions and wanting to make a difference. Instead of playing in a park like other children, she has devoted herself very specifically to climate change This is very unique.
“She is a sensation not only among her peers but to parents and older people also. We need motivators like these to inspire the young so they are directly involved and impact change.”
