Green Celebrities: Hannah Mills, Team GB

In this edition of Green Celebrities, of course, we had to feature an Olympian. Hannah Mills was Team GB’s first-ever female sailor to be a flag bearer at the opening ceremony. She won gold in Rio Olympics 2016 and silver at the London Olympics in 2012. And oh yes, she’s a bit of a green celebrity.

Hannah Mills: Passionate about the environment

As well as being passionate about her sport, Hannah Mills is passionate about the environment. While training for Rio 2016, she travelled all over the world. During her travels, she noticed that plastic littered every beach, marina, and harbour she visited.

This was the start of a personal crusade for Mills. She began using her sporting fame as a platform to raise awareness and influence people, businesses, and governments.

She became an International Olympic Committee Sustainability Ambassador and not long after, she launched an initiative called the Big Plastic Pledge.

Hannah Mills and the Big Plastic Pledge

Mills launched the initiative with her Team GB teammate, Eilidh Mcintyre.

The aim of the Big Plastic Pledge is to change the way we use single-use plastic, both in sport and in the wider world.

The campaign’s message is that all it takes is for one person to change their habits. When more people follow suit, this then makes brands and governments sit up and listen.

Speaking about the campaign, Mills said that she wants people to know that the actions they take matter. If a whole sporting community change their habits, it can create what she calls ‘a tidal wave of change.’

So what is the Big Plastic Pledge?

According to Hannah Mills, the Big Plastic Pledge is asking individuals within the sporting world to take action and reduce the use of single-use plastic. This includes everyone from elite athletes to spectators.

There are 9 pledges that participants can make to reduce single-use plastic, but they only need to commit to 3. So, the pledges are:

• I will take my own water bottle
• I will take my own coffee and beverage cups, food containers, and cutlery
• I will refuse plastic straws
• I will leave no trace
• I will refuse single-use plastic packaging and bags
• I will encourage sports clubs and events to find alternatives to single-use plastic
• I will make my own event merchandise
• I will make informed choices
• I will spread the word of the Big Plastic Pledge

We think it’s really encouraging to see sports personalities using their platforms for good, especially when it comes to protecting the environment. So, how many of these pledges would you be willing to make?

For more interesting articles on all things recycling and the environment, check out the rest of our blog.