By Daniela Macaya
Collecting shells as a young girl along the pristine shores of Coyote Beach, Costa Rica, was Nirvana. However, I now find more plastic to pick up than shells, spending hours frantically gathering every piece that washes ashore - a noble, but futile effort. It is like trying to clean up an oil spill while oil still gushes out of an open pipe. We need to shut the valve, and the key lies in education.
At 17 years old, during the COVID-19 quarantine, I wrote and illustrated Throw It ‘Away’ to sound the alarm on the hidden dangers of single-use plastics and inspire children that anyone—no matter their age or physical boundaries—can take meaningful action for the environment.
The book follows the journey of a plastic bag from a Costa Rican supermarket, traveling to unimaginable places and eventually returning to us full-circle through the food we eat—a reality most children and even adults are unaware of. The story concludes with hands-on activities, like turning an old T-shirt into a reusable bag, to empower children to be part of the solution.
The translated Spanish version, Desechada, was published in 2022 by UNICEF Costa Rica and Editorial de la Universidad Estatal a Distancia (EUNED), the largest university publisher in Central America, as the special 40th year anniversary book. Over 1,500 copies have been distributed to 60+ public libraries in Costa Rica. Furthermore, I have conducted book readings at schools, libraries, and UN events for audiences of all ages. Ripples of change are visible, as I receive messages from youth showing me drawings reflecting their own concerns. I have also seen a bottom-up approach, as parents share conversations their children sparked at the dinner table about minimizing their plastic consumption.
Most recently, the book was adapted into an animated video and showcased at the UN stand during the High-Level Event on Ocean Action: “Immersed in Change”, in Costa Rica, in June 2024.
This book is more than a story; it is a call to action. We can’t solve the plastic crisis overnight, but by empowering youth to act, we are planting the seeds for a cleaner, more sustainable future.
It is like trying to clean up an oil spill while oil still gushes out of an open pipe. We need to shut the valve, and the key lies in education.
