On 17 August 2026, the POP Movement, in collaboration with Divine Dale International School, Gurugram, conducted a YouthCAN Awareness Session on Single-Use Plastics, engaging nearly 60 students from Grades VI–VIII in an important conversation about one of the most visible and persistent environmental challenges of our time.

The session introduced students to the growing crisis of plastic pollution and helped them understand that the problem extends far beyond the waste they see around them. Students explored how plastics can persist in the environment for generations, threaten wildlife and ecosystems, and gradually break down into microplastics that can enter the food chain. They were also introduced to the stark reality that only around 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, highlighting the urgent need to rethink how we consume and dispose of plastic.

Rather than leaving students with only an understanding of the problem, the session focused on solutions and personal responsibility. Through the 4 R’s—Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, students explored practical ways to minimise their dependence on single-use plastics. Everyday alternatives such as cloth bags instead of plastic bags, bamboo straws instead of disposable plastic straws, and steel water bottles instead of single-use bottles demonstrated that sustainable choices can be simple, accessible, and achievable.

The session concluded with the YouthCAN Pledge, through which students committed themselves to adopting more sustainable habits and encouraging others to do the same. This transformed the session from a classroom discussion into a personal commitment to action.

The activity reflected a central principle of the Youth Climate Action Now (YouthCAN) initiative: young people should not simply be informed about environmental challenges—they should be equipped and empowered to respond to them. By turning concern into commitment and awareness into everyday action, the students took an important step towards becoming climate-conscious citizens and future environmental leaders.

In the spirit of the special August tribute to Late Dr. R.K. Pachauri, the session, echoed a powerful part of his legacy: meaningful environmental change depends on informed people, collective responsibility, and the courage to act.

From understanding the problem to changing our habits, every action counts.