Girls and young women have told us that they’re worried about the harm plastic pollution is causing our planet and the animals we share it with. That’s why thousands of members took action on plastic pollution as part of Future Girl Acts, our annual week of social action.

From 30 September to 6 October, members – taking on the role of Planet Protectors – gathered plastic and used it to make animal sculptures to show how plastic pollution is choking our planet. Over 100,000 girls (25% of units) took part, and Twitter, Facebook and Instagram saw hundreds of pictures of endangered sea creatures like turtles, starfish and even a narwhale, all made from waste plastic.

‘It was really fantastic to get the girls engaged about plastic pollution in a hands-on way – I think it made the whole experience much more relatable and less abstract for them,’ says 27-year-old Lucy, Leader of 10th Clapham Brownies. ‘The girls also surprised us with how knowledgeable they already were about plastic and microplastics and their impact on the environment, and they were all very keen to make their plastic promises to keep making a difference.’

Hannah, 9 years old, from 10th Clapham Brownies, agrees: ‘It was nice to think about all the animals we can help by changing plastic. Building the turtle sculpture was really fun and I’m happy that the bottles didn’t go into the ground or the oceans.’

Girls and volunteers are also making their own #PlasticPromise – one simple way they’ll use less plastic – and they’ve asked the whole of the UK to join them.

When we come together, we can make a big change. A huge thank you to everyone who joined in Future Girl Acts and to our partner, Recycle Now. Together, we’re unstoppable.