A special episode of popular children’s cartoon Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir has been produced to help raise awareness among primary school-aged children about the issue of plastic pollution.
The half-hour episode has been created by makers ZAG and Mediawan, as part of a new global Plastic Changemakers campaign, which was developed by the non-profit Breteau Foundation.
In the episode, the characters seek to demonstrate how small efforts can make a big impact in the fight against plastic.
The campaign also includes a free five-module education pack, all supported by figures from the Miraculous series.
The resources seek to equip children aged 7-11 with the skills needed to tackle plastic waste by providing essential education on the subject.
Foundation founder Sebastien Breteau said in an interview he hopes the campaign will reach more than 1 million schoolchildren around the world in the next six months.
“We want to turn kids into ambassadors, or what we call plastic changemakers,” Breteau told me.
“We want them to feel when they go back home that they can talk to their parents and friends about single-use plastics.”
Breteau added he wants children feel empowered and that they can make a difference in their own worlds.
He said it is also clear that children and young people are also deeply concerned about issues like the environment.
“What we have tried to do in this campaign is convey a positive message that we can do better and avoid single-use plastic,” he told me.
“And if you decide to work together, you can really have an impact. You don’t have to be a victim and become overwhelmed. You can change things for the future.”
The educational campaign was launched in the U.K. earlier this month, with the episode itself being premiered to school children in Leicester Square, London.
Breteau said the episode has also now been shown to school children in South Africa and South America.
It follows a nationwide survey of more than 500 primary school teachers in the U.K. for the foundation, which found many have been forced to spend their own money to create educational resources to teach pupils about the environment.
And almost half of those surveyed (49%) who have requested additional resources or support to teach students about plastic pollution were met with no action.
But it also found 96% of the teachers surveyed believe primary school children have the power to influence the attitudes and actions of their local community about plastic pollution.
Plus, nearly two-thirds (62%) said pupils believe that individual actions can make an impact on the environmental issues facing our planet, including plastic pollution.
Science fiction and fantasy have always proved to be powerful vehicles when it comes to spreading the message about sustainability and the environment, especially to younger audiences.
Films like Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and the 1973 Doctor Who television serial the Green Death are other notable examples of science fiction and fantasy storytelling with a strong environmental message.
The founder and chief executive of ZAG, Jeremy Zag said in a statement said it is sensitive to issues like ecology and environmental protection.
“In this context, it seemed obvious to us to participate in the initiative of the Breteau Foundation and to put our heroes at the service of this cause,” said Zag.
“Ladybug and Cat Noir are the best ambassadors of tomorrow’s issues and will be able to accompany children in their ability to create a better world. As the old saying goes, we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.”
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