This blog post was written by Val Muñoz, a 2024 EarthEcho Marine Plastics Ambassador.

Canadians consume two per cent of the planet’s plastics, though we represent just 0.5 per cent of the Earth’s population. The St. Lawrence River, a lifeline for transportation, recreation, and biodiversity, faces threats from plastic waste that permeates its waters and shores. Despite its critical role, there exists an "out of sight, out of mind" mentality, which perpetuates the underestimation of plastic pollution's profound impact on marine life and human health.

According to the Ministry of Environment for Quebec, the shores of the river and its tributaries are home to over 80% of Québec’s population, and 50% of Quebecers get their drinking water from these watercourses. The St. Lawrence links the Atlantic Ocean with the Great Lakes making it a socio-economic asset for Quebec and one of the world’s most important commercial waterways. 

Yet, despite recent municipal bans on single-use plastics and a 92% compliance rate, pollution persists. From cigarette butts to styrofoam fragments, a culture of improper disposal continues to contaminate this vital ecosystem. Over the last few years living in Montreal, I have witnessed a significant gap between dedicated marine plastics curriculum within education. 

That’s where Project S.T.O.P (save the oceans from plastic) began.

My goal as a Marine Plastics Ambassador is to bridge the knowledge gap through creative, bilingual workshops tailored for youth and university students alike. Our workshops, launching in September 2024, illuminated the realities of what marine plastics are, how they affect human health, and what we can do together to fight them. 

We took a hands-on approach with: 

• Interactive activities to foster awareness
  
• Youth-centered curriculum to empower critical thinking and climate agency
  
• University student involvement to build leadership and outreach skills‍

We’ve celebrated key milestones

• Assembled a passionate team of five undergraduate students from McGill’s Environment program
  
• Held a vibrant outreach day at the Ecomuseum in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, bringing marine plastics education to over 15 families and 30 nature lovers
  
• Led an interactive French session at the Bibliothèque du Plateau-Mont-Royal, engaging urban communities in the heart of Montreal
  
• And we’re currently applying for the Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF) at McGill—the largest campus sustainability fund of its kind in Canada, valued at over $1 million annually. Through its “up to $5,000” stream, we hope to pilot our workshops on campus and expand our impact within the university community

What I’ve learned through this journey is that environmental education is most impactful when it’s rooted in community. In honoring the river that runs through our lives, we make space for something larger than policy, we make space for hope.