‘Why do you use so much plastic?’: The tide turns as CNA reporter faces tough questions – from toddlers

But as the session progressed, things started to get tense.

“Why do you want to be a reporter?” was a more personal question that made me think about the choices I made in my life.

Finally, I asked the question again to my enthusiastic audience: what did they want to be when they grew up?

Common refrains included “teacher,” “marine,” and even the occasional “reporter,” perhaps suggesting some hope for the media industry.

But what came across clearly during the session was the children’s interest in the environment and the impact of plastic.

“Why do you use so much plastic?” was a particularly difficult question for me, to which I weakly replied, “I never really thought about the environment and just lived my life normally.”

Another pointed question was, “Why do you keep forgetting to bring your own water bottle?”

Despite their young age, the children were quite well informed. Firstly, they understood the concept of microplastics and how they affect marine life.

To my pleasant surprise, they had also learned some practical lessons from the CNA report.

A toddler in the group shared how her mother started recycling her contact lens blister packs. There was also a question about what plastic-free alternatives might be.

“I take my own bag when I go shopping because I don’t want to use plastic bags,” said one student.