Youth conservation group, Hidden Plastic, recently shared their experience at the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC-5) on Instagram in anticipation of Call to Earth Day. The negotiations took place in South Korea from November 25 to December 1, 2024.
During the event, 15-year-old Zara Hawkins, co-founder of Hidden Plastics, engaged in a conversation with a representative from the Korea Fisheries Resources Agency (FIRA) regarding innovative solutions to address the issue of 'ghost gear' in the ocean. Ghost gear refers to abandoned plastic fishing nets that pose a threat to marine life by entangling and harming fish, as well as contributing to the proliferation of microplastics in the water.
Impressively, FIRA presented Zara with a t-shirt crafted from recycled fishing net plastic collected from the ocean, showcasing a tangible example of repurposing marine debris into sustainable products.
