The POP (Protect Our Planet) Movement in collaboration with Divine Dale International School, Gurugram organized an engaging YouthCAN awareness session on 17th August 2026. The session brought together approximately 60 students from the Grades VI-VIII. The workshop was designed to understand the severe global impacts of single-use plastics, empowering young people to transform eco-anxiety into actionable climate leadership.

The session explored the environmental and social consequences of single-use plastics, highlighting how these fossil fuel-based products can persist in the environment for generations despite being discarded immediately. Students learned about the devastating effects and severe threats to marine and terrestrial wildlife, such as sea turtles and stray animals ingesting toxic plastic waste.

A key focus of the workshop was to challenge common perceptions about recycling. Students were introduced to the scale of the plastic crisis, including the statistic that only nine percent of all plastic ever produced has been recycled, while much of the remaining plastic continues to accumulate in landfills, ecosystems, and the natural environment. Students were introduced to the invisible danger of microplastics infiltrating the global food chain and their potential to enter food chains, emphasizing that addressing plastic pollution requires reducing its consumption.

Moving beyond, the workshop focused on actionable solutions to combat the plastic crisis. Students explored “4 R’s of Action”: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle and achievable alternatives to single-use plastics such as replacing disposable polythene bags with reusable cloth bags, using metal or bamboo straws, and carrying stainless steel water bottles.

The session concluded with the YouthCAN Pledge encouraging students to take responsibility for protecting the environment. Through the pledge, students committed to adopting sustainable habits, making conscious choices, and reducing their dependence on single-use plastics, and becoming responsible stewards of the planet.