The impact #LAGREENTEEN has had on students

When Habits Of Waste first came to Los Angeles High School to educate my classmates on the negative impact that plastic has on the environment and to inform us about the #LAGREENTEEN movement, numerous kids were a bit hesitant. My classmates and I thought “How can we reduce the use of plastic, when plastic is a part of everyday life?”

After guidance from H.O.W my classmates and I realized that there are various alternatives to plastic products and that there is in fact a way to reduce plastic use. However, as of right now students at LA High have no other option but to bring plastic water bottles from home or purchase plastic water bottles from the student store being that the water fountains at our school are unsanitary and outdated making the water from the fountains “undrinkable.” #LAGREENTEEN is helping fix this issue by raising money to give L.A. High School new water fountains with a water filtration system.

The hope is that the new water fountains will essentially eliminate the use of plastic water bottles at L.A. High School and will also give students cleaner water to drink. The #LAGREENTEEN movement teaches kids about environmental care and how to bring awareness to others through the power of social media. This movement has given my classmates hope that we can save our environment for the future generations to come. Despite the fact that we’re a relatively small group my classmates and I are very confident that we can bring awareness on the impact plastic has on the environment through social media.

My classmates and I are extremely excited about the work we are doing with H.O.W. and #LAGREENTEEN as well as the new changes that are to arrive at our school. The majority of my classmates are already bringing awareness to their friends and followers on their social media’s. Which has lead to many students replacing their plastic water bottles for reusable bottles.

Both H.O.W. and the #LAGREENTEEN movement have opened up my eyes and made me appreciate the world that I live in, much more than I did before. Before learning in depth about the effects plastic has on the world, I continuously used plastic products. Now that I’m informed, I’ve taken measures to reduce my use of plastic as well as my family’s use of plastic. Being able to participate in #LAGREENTEEN has also made me think about my future as well.

I wasn’t too sure what I wanted to do in life, but my experience with #LAGREENTEEN has made me want to pursue a career that’ll allow me to make a change in the world. H.O.W. and #LAGREENTEEN have given me a sense of power and direction. I’ve learned that anyone, regardless of age or race can make a difference and impact the world.

I now feel as though if I set my mind on a specific issue and I’m truly passionate about it, I can do something about the issue and bring awareness to others. Despite the fact that I’m a shy person, I’ve made an effort to inform others about the effects plastic has on the environment. I’m more than happy to bring awareness to others and guide them to reduce their use of plastic. Being able to bring awareness on the effects plastic has on the environment has made me feel like I’m really making a change in the world.

To be a part of that change is an amazing feeling that I can’t even begin to describe, all I can say is that I’m proud of my classmates and I because I know that we’re making an impact on the world that will greatly impact, our generation as well as the future generations to come.

If you would like to donate, visit the following link: https://www.givsum.com/opportunities/how-presents-lagreenteen.