As a part of the POP Climate Leadership Conversations on August 17, 2022, we had the chance to speak to Salvador Ávila, Director of Plastic Oceans México, about his role as a leader of the organization and how he and his team promote a circular economy. Dra. Norma Patricia Muñoz Sevilla, Honorary Distinguished Mentor, the POP Movement asked Sal about what leadership means to him. Sal spoke about how he learned from his father that leadership is not about giving orders but about nurturing and helping your team grow.

Komal Mittal asked Salvador about his work at Pure Clean Earth and how the challenges faced then influenced his current work at Plastic Oceans. Sal spoke about how running an NGO is a time-consuming process which at first was a challenge to manage. He also spoke about how leading a team in Pure Clean Earth influenced his current leadership strategy as he is continuously learning from his team.

Meda Hope asked about the strategies that Plastic Oceans uses to promote a circular economy. Salvador answered that one of the key points is highlighting the role of individual actions in creating big changes at company or government level. He mentioned that individual behaviors must precede the work and legislation in order to have an effective transition to a circular economy.

Ricardo Delgado asked about how we could encourage youth to take part in environmental movements as they grow professionally. Sal spoke about how schools need to change their curriculum to integrate environmental knowledge in everyday life: Education has to involve environmental education. He also mentioned how everyone working on environment should strive to get their work recognized and taken seriously.

About our guest speaker

Salvador Ávila (Sal) is the Executive Director of Plastic Oceans, Mexico. Originating from Monterrey, Mexico, his first plunge into the world of social causes came during college when he volunteered for a program that taught moral and ethics to at-risk kids– a role he held for two years.

After college he joined the organization Villas Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos (ABP), a non-profit focused on giving safe spaces for children and pre-teens in dangerous neighborhoods. He served as Director of External Communications helping to form the department and updating current communication models.

Sal then left for Barcelona to study Public Relations and Event Planning. It was there that he had his first peek into the environmental scene. While working with tourists in a hostel observing the recycling programs in the European Union and the efficient public transportation system, he began to ponder on the level of consumerism most people (including himself) live with, and resolved to make some changes.

In 2018, he was part of the team that built the non-profit Pure Clean Earth, where he served as Director of Communications for this organization dedicated to environmental activism across Spain and England.