Little thoughts on big matters

Along with their ABCs and 123s, all school children should know about the three Rs — reduce, reuse, and recycle, to cut down on discarded waste that burdens and pollutes the natural environment. In recent years, some Caribbean countries have even banned single-use plastics, but this is just a start. We each have to play our part for a cleaner, healthier world, says Maria Marshall — an eleven-year old environmental advocate and perhaps the youngest filmmaker in Barbados. Her multiple-award-winning short film Little Thoughts on Big Matters has earned her global recognition, including from Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and British actor and UNICEF Global Ambassador Orlando Bloom. As we observe World Recycling Day on 18 March, Marshall tells Shelly-Ann Inniss how recycling makes a difference

Are recycling, and environmental mindfulness generally, part of Barbadian culture?

Yes, Barbadians tend to repurpose items a lot, and this is noticeable with the beautifully painted tyre gardens in community parks and around homes. Even at our schools you will see teachers repurposing ice cream and formula containers as crayon canisters. At the government level, there are signs, public service announcements, numerous garbage bins, and posters encouraging people to dispose of their trash properly.

If you were a junior environmental minister, what are some activities or rules you would implement?

With such a responsibility,and knowing that most habits start at a very young age, I would implement a new subject within the school system that strictly deals with environmental awareness. Just as children learn maths and English, they would learn how to protect and care for their surroundings and develop a thoughtfulness about preserving the environment. The whole world would benefit.

Do you have any favourite items that you have up-cycled or repurposed as a form of recycling?

One of my favourite repurposed items is a coconut shell. My aunt sometimes makes coconut oil and uses a lot of them. At my primary school, our theme was “Go Nuts”, and each class had to come up with an idea for how to use materials from the coconut tree. I decided to use the shells as small hanging pots. Thirty students designed and painted their own coconut hanging pots and then planted small herbs in them. It was so lovely to see all those shells being used for something that was beautiful and sustainable.

What tips do you have for people who don’t know much about recycling?

I think we make this thing seem difficult, but it is actually easy. Everyone can do it in their day-to-day lives just by asking themselves some simple questions: do I really need to buy this right now or ever? Can I repurpose this in some way? It is your way of thinking about things that may need a little tweaking. We only have one earth, and we must all try our very best to protect it.

Apart from your YouTube channel, where can we tune in for Little Thoughts on Big Matters?

As much as my Little Thoughts on Big Matters has travelled the globe, I am still only eleven years old, and I have to listen to my parents. So for now I am only on YouTube, but hope to have my new works showcased at various film festivals locally, regionally, and hopefully internationally.

You have been called the Bajan Greta Thunberg. What does this mean to you?

I am Barbados’s Maria Marshall. I believe that we have the same hope of having a safe, clean, and living Earth for all people and animals, but I think our approaches are different.

Watch Little Thoughts on Big Matters on YouTube at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=6dguJcEpC-s