Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO organized the plastic-free campus intervention at Sylhet Govt. Pilot High School and Hazrat Omar Faruque (R.) Academy on July 12–13, 2023, to commemorate “Plastic-free July.” The two-day environmental education camp’s objectives were to increase student awareness of plastic pollution and educate them about its effects, the function of plastic in modern society, plastic-free alternatives, the zero-waste concept, and the 4R principle (refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle/ refill).

ESDO engaged in interactive sessions with students while they were at the environmental education camp, focusing on many facets of plastic pollution. Students had the opportunity to learn about the damaging impacts of plastic pollution on the ecosystem and investigate solutions. The students also participated in exercises including role plays on plastic pollution and raising awareness, poster presentations on zero-waste habits at home and school, the significance of reducing, reusing, and refilling, and the idea of home composting. In the workshops, it is also emphasized how recycling plastic won’t solve the problem of plastic pollution. Recycling is frequently thought of as a solution to the plastic waste issue, however, recycling plastic can actually unleash dangerous chemicals and contaminants into the environment.

ESDO planned outside activities including garbage collection, identification, and segregation to further improve the educational experience. Additionally, a storytelling session gave the children a chance to express their own encounters with and observations of environmental plastic pollution, promoting empathy and understanding.