We recently connected with Ella Lin Espinosa and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ella Lin , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I found my purpose two separate times. The first was when I joined my sister in her campaign, Skip the Plastic Straw, which developed from her 6th grade school Passion Project; we would speak to local youth and environmental groups, and I felt that we made a positive impact every time we presented the harmful effects of plastic pollution, especially in our oceans. The second time I found my purpose was when I finished my own 6th grade Passion Project on recycling. So many people don’t know how to properly recycle, and that much of what we think is recyclable really isn’t. Combining my sister’s campaign against single-use plastics and my own campaign on recycling, I found my purpose in targeted recycling to earn money for environmental organizations and cleaning up the local beaches.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am 15 years old, live in Newport Beach, California, and I am the founder of Recycling for Nature initiative. I started my first project in March 2021 in which I collected empty aluminum cans and plastic bottles from friends and neighbors to recycle. I then donated 100 percent of the recycling funds to local conservation organizations, like the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach and the Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach, to help them with their conservation work.
Since March 2021, I have raised more than $1,300 and prevented more than 19,000 plastic bottles and aluminum cans from entering our landfills.
I am also an active partner in an environmental campaign called Skip the Plastic Straw, founded by my sister, Chloe Mei, in April 2018. I work closely with my sister and we regularly present to youths about the harmful effects of single-use plastics, specifically straws. We also partner with over 100 sustainable brands and alternative straw partners to share ways we can all lead a more sustainable life, through the videos we produce on our Skip the Plastic Straw YouTube channel and Instagram.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities that are most impactful in my journey are persistence, knowing how single-use plastics harm our environment, and knowing that I am able to make a difference no matter how old I am. I hope to show my friends and everyone that they too can make help protect our environment in their own little way.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
There is a common misconception that everything with the “recycle triangle” sign means it’s recyclable. I created a video on “How to Recycle Right,” which you can find on our Skip the Plastic Straw YouTube channel, to explain what is indeed recyclable and how we can all help to reduce landfills by recycling the right items.
Most people also do not know that one plastic bottle takes up to 400 years to decompose, and an aluminum soda can takes up to 200 years. Plastic bottles and aluminum cans can be recycled – aluminum cans can actually be recycled in the morning and ready for use that same day! We need to keep these out of our trash so they do not end up in the landfills – and that is why I started my project to help protect our environment as well as to give back to organizations that need our help.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.skiptheplasticstraw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiptheplasticstraw/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOUHJ_mvBuzm3a6rD6M5rKQ
