Luís & Diogo Martins, Portugal, 13 and 16 years old

The pandemic brought exceptional challenges for humanity that had to adapt to them using its arch-enemy, plastics, seeing them as his new ally. A new notion of hospital waste has emerged and with it, also a new responsibility and collective need. Despite all this, new plastics are being discarded and abandoned on the streets, gutters, and finally in the oceans. This massive use of masks and gloves is creating a tsunami of waste heading towards the ocean and besides that, according to what the studies indicate, a mask takes about 400 years to decompose. Even in pandemic times, human ignorance remains one of the greatest dangers we have to face. Is this the sign that we need to change? This scourge caused by human actions is signalling us that change really is urgent!