The story below is from Trash Hero Blanka Szecsenyi. 

I met Trash Hero in Thailand in 2014. It was a beautiful holiday I took with my boyfriend while living in London. I thought it was just a leisurely activity, a free boat trip to join Trash Hero, but it became much more than that.

I was devastated by the state of an uninhabited island, yet amazed by the motivation of all the people of Trash Hero, to keep cleaning up what they might never be able to stop coming.

When I got back to cold and gray London from the winter sun, it took me a while to adjust to the everydays. Not only that for 3 weeks I was able to live out of a back pack, but also that I spent a day cleaning up rubbish while probably generating more at home in a week than I collected in a day. Hoping of course that my rubbish does reach the recycling factories, but still disgusted by the amount of unnecessary packaging in every shop.

I started to get rid of plastic bags. Those were always my weak point. Of course, it feels good to hold dozens of bags after a shopping spree on Oxford Street, but it feels even better to put all into one bag when I get on the tube. When I get home with all the new stuff (most of them probably not necessary), I generate a bag full of other bags and cut of labels, stickers, etc. Then I keep packing those bags inside each other, keeping them in the cupboard, in case I will need it. When did all this start?

I remember having maybe one nice plastic bag in a year – I kept my piano notes in them for months of classes. The only reason for it was that they were too big for my school bag and I did not want to get them wet on the way. I also remember a classmate from uni – I used to train him as he always skipped classes, but it helped me to prepare for the exams. When he had to take some notes from my place, he refused a plastic bag for it as his father, captain of a ship said he would never want to be seen carrying anything in a plastic bag, it is so not masculine – compared to being a captain.

Feeling energized by Trash Hero event, I skipped using the plastic bags. When we got Ocado home delivery – where the driver takes your old Ocado bags – I just wanted to be so quick unpacking that he would take what he just got me as well. I just did not want to store one more of those monsters. I still had to convince my boyfriend, he would join me when we were together, but when he was shopping on his own, he would still end up bringing them home. Half success I guess?

2 years later we moved home, back to Budapest with my now husband. We spent the first 6 months in-between-homes, renovating and simply not settling properly. I ended up living out of boxes and with bags of bags once more – but not for long. I got my shopping bags again and recycling every single plastic bag I end up with.

I shared this story on the below event (speech is in English, title in Hungarian – to be updated soon) as an exercise for public speaking. I tried to find a topic which I believe is worthy enough to take the time of 80 people and maybe achieve something with my message.

I ended up with dozens of messages now, about how they, who heard my speech stopped using plastic bags now. I don’t even dare to imagine how many of those there might be who did not tell me their related actions.
You see, every little counts. I was just one city girl on holiday looking for a cheap trip – ended up motivating dozens to stop using plastic bags.

http://speakacademy.hu/speaker/szechenyi-blanka-speak-academy-galaest-2017-junius-21-marriott/