Milo Cress (born 2001) is the founder and spokesperson for the Be Straw Free campaign[1] which has a partnership with Eco-Cycle.[2]

Milo Cress
Born2001 (age 22–23)
Occupations
  • Student
  • Environmental activist
Years active2011–present
WebsiteBeStrawFree.org

Activism edit

Founding the campaign in 2011 when he was 9, Cress advocates for restaurants and other venues to cut down on their use of disposable straws.[3][4] Also at the age of 9, Cress conducted research by surveying straw manufacturers which estimated that 500 million straws are used daily by Americans, a figure that has been widely cited by major news organizations but has also been criticized as being inaccurate due to his age at the time.[5][6][7] Market research firm Freedonia Group estimated the number to be 390 million.[7] Another market research firm Technomic estimated the number to be 170 million, although this number excludes some types of straws.[7]

Cress has a large following in South Korea.[8] He has traveled around the world talking to organizations about his “offer first” idea and about how children can become activists in their own ways. In 2014, he was a finalist for the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ Staff, Meghan Foley Sentinel. "Vermont teen fighting plastic pollution to speak in Keene". SentinelSource.com. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  2. ^ "Longmont 11-year-old campaigns for 'offer first' policy on drinking straws". Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  3. ^ York, Will Pavia, New (2017-06-27). "Boy, 9, fights to turn tide of ocean plastic". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2018-01-16.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "NPS Commercial Services". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  5. ^ "California Considers $1,000 Fine for Waiters Offering Unsolicited Plastic Straws". reason.com. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  6. ^ Americans Throw Out Millions Of Plastic Straws Daily. Here's What's Being Done About It
  7. ^ a b c Chokshi, Niraj (2018-07-19). "How a 9-Year-Old Boy's Statistic Shaped a Debate on Straws". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  8. ^ "A 10-year-old urges restaurants to 'be straw free'". Christian Science Monitor. 2012-07-06. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  9. ^ Kehoe, Megan (2014-11-19). "No more straws? Yes, says Bend student". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2018-01-16.