Maddie Newson

Maddie Newson

Western NC

Maddie Newsom, now 13, became a young POP Ambassador at age 11  advocating for “no plastic straws.” Not only did she get her school reducing single use plastics through her “Sip with me and save the sea” reusable straw fundraiser, it spread to  the NC Aquarium where they sell her stainless steel straws with a silicone tip and printed sleeves (on recycled plastic thread). She donates the proceeds  to POP. These efforts help protect the environment and also help in her mission.
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Today, she is running cleanups around the state of North Carolina either at the beach or in the mountains, with a group of friends or by herself. She is also promoting reusable washable craft paper American Ad Bags – reducing plastic bag use, and reusable tumblers in an effort to get people to stop using single use water bottles.

Maddie understood that it’s not how old you are, but how determined you are to make a difference. Maddie is making a huge difference and she is doing it one single use item at a time, one cleanup at a time.