“My mission is to educate and inform,” Lilly states. Despite her young age, she acknowledges the potential of social media and the possible influence she could have. For this reason, her main focus is to continuously raise awareness and motivate her followers to take part in cleaning the planet. In 2017, Lilly’s Plastic Pickup first went viral, and her media presence increased significantly. After that, she started getting invited to events such as the climate rally in front of the European Parliament in Belgium and the Tweede Kamer der Staten-General (House of Representatives) of the Netherlands.
Politicians, though, often seem to pose an obstacle: “There are 751 seats in the parliament right now”, she says about her recent visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “When we were invited to the climate debate in mid-March, only 28 of the parliament members were there.”
However, her inner circle does not lack support. Her family fully stands behind everything she does under the name of Lilly’s Plastic Pickup. “Our whole family is eco-friendly,” she claims, “And we respect every living creature, including plants!”