You peel open a banana and crunch into an apple. But look out! There may be a sticker on those foods. PLU — or Price Look Up — stickers are on many fruits and vegetables. The little labels can give information about where the food came from and how much it costs. PLU stickers have an impact beyond the grocery store though. They can harm the planet.
That’s where Maya Thiru comes in. The 10-year-old from Markham, Canada, is fighting against PLUs and plastic pollution!
“I have always been passionate about wildlife and the ,” Maya told News-O-Matic. “After reading about the two, I became concerned about the future.” Maya wanted to take action. “Sitting at home and reading is not going to help,” she said. “I contacted environmental organizations to .”
Some groups thought that Maya was too young. But Friends of the Earth (FOE) Canada was ready to work with her. Maya’s mission took her to a surprising place—the grocery store. Maya didn’t focus on the oranges, peppers, or cucumbers. She only saw stickers. Plastic PLU stickers were all over the foods.
“Even though plastic PLU stickers are small, they are everywhere,” Maya explained. She said they cause “so much damage to our environment and life.” The plastic stickers don’t break down in nature. And they often end up outside of the trash. People may wash them down the drain and into our waters. Or the stickers may end up in and pollute our soil.
FOE Canada asked Maya to lead a campaign against these stickers. So Maya took charge! She spread the word about the PLU problem, and she called on other people to help. In March and April, people have been sticking their PLU stickers in albums. They will send their albums to government leaders and ask for the stickers to be banned.
Maya explained what makes her stick to her mission. “The inspiration comes when you and other people believe in you,” she said. Maya is grateful to the group that believed in her. “Despite my age, FOE Canada heard me,” she shared. “I have gained a great deal of knowledge from them.”
Maya shared advice for other kids. “Do not feel that you are too young to make a positive impact,” she said. “Your voice will be heard. It just takes one person to hear you.”
Maya got FOE Canada to hear her — and now the world is listening too! Her story can inspire other kids to speak out. “Even though we're young, our voices are loud,” she said, “because the future belongs to us.”
Updated April 20, 2023, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan
