WildAid starts campaign to combat climate change

WildAid launched a new public awareness campaign in China to reduce single-used plastics by encouraging consumers to bring their own water bottles, cutlery and shopping bags to work and shops on Tuesday.

The "Be a #BYOer" campaign is a partnership between WildAid, China Green Carbon Foundation and China Association for NGO Cooperation.

The campaign is a continuation of the "action starts the movement" campaign launched in 2020. The "action starts the movement" campaign, led by one of China's most sought-after celebrities, actor and singer Wang Yibo, aims to inspire action on simple steps everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint through daily choices around meals.

The campaign's PSA played 7.9 million times on Weibo, one of the most influential social media platforms in China and 28,340 users played the H5 game. Once again Wang Yibo will be leading the Be a #BYOer campaign and spreading the message to his 30 million social media followers.

"While we accept the convenience brought by single-use plastics, we should also consider their impact on the environment. Small actions may have big impacts," said Wang.

Up to 50 percent of plastic is made for single-use purposes – i.e. utilized for just a few moments, but on the planet for at least several hundred years. According to UNEP, only nine per cent of the plastic waste the world has ever produced has been recycled. Most ends up in landfills, dumps or in the environment.

According to CIEL, nearly every piece of plastic begins as a fossil fuel, and greenhouse gases are emitted at each of each stage of the plastic lifecycle. If plastic production and use grow as currently planned, by 2030, these emissions could reach 1.34 gigatons per year—equivalent to the emissions released by more than 295 new 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants.

"With the tagline Be a #BYOer, this new campaign promotes simple actions on an individual level such as brining your own water bottle, cutlery and shopping bag wherever you go. It also comes on the heels of China's announcement to go carbon neutral by 2060, an effort that will require extraordinary action by not only government and industry, but by the individual as well. " said Yu Chong, the chief representative of WildAid China.

"We expect that the Be a #BYOer campaign could help the public to better understand the link between plastic and climate change as well as China's plastic reduction policy, also to and increase the willingness to reduce the single-used plastic." Said Liu Jiashun, secretary general of the China Green Carbon Foundation.

"Be a #BYOer campaign provides the public with a simple and easy way to help to protect our environment. We believe that a small action can make big impacts. We look forward to seeing more people becoming 'BYOer's and leaving a healthy planet for future generations." Wang Xiangyi, Vice Chairwoman & Executive Director of China Association for NGO Cooperation adds.

Be a #BYOer campaign is a part of WildAid's new program "EarthAid", using the organization's unrivaled network of media resources and proven campaign methodology to promote a range of lifestyle choices to reduce our own impacts on climate change and the environment.