Milo Cress

Last updated
Milo Cress
Born2001 (age 2324)
Occupations
  • Student
  • Environmental activist
Years active2011–present

Milo Cress (born 2001) is the founder and spokesperson for the Be Straw Free campaign, [1] which partners with Eco-Cycle. [2]

Activism

Milo Cress founded the Be Straw Free campaign in 2011 at the age of nine. The campaign advocates for restaurants and other venues to reduce their use of disposable straws. [3] [4] At the age of nine, Cress conducted research by surveying straw manufacturers, estimating that Americans use 500 million straws daily. This figure has been widely criticized by major news organizations. [5] [6] Cress has garnered a significant following in South Korea. [7] He has traveled globally, delivering presentations to various organizations about his "offer first" concept and advocating for children to engage in activism in their own capacities. In 2014, he was recognized as a finalist for the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. [8]

References

  1. Staff, Meghan Foley Sentinel. "Vermont teen fighting plastic pollution to speak in Keene". SentinelSource.com. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  2. "Longmont 11-year-old campaigns for 'offer first' policy on drinking straws" . Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  3. York, Will Pavia, New (2017-06-27). "Boy, 9, fights to turn tide of ocean plastic". The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved 2018-01-16.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "NPS Commercial Services". www.nps.gov. Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  5. Chokshi, Niraj (2018-07-19). "How a 9-Year-Old Boy's Statistic Shaped a Debate on Straws". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  6. "California Considers $1,000 Fine for Waiters Offering Unsolicited Plastic Straws". reason.com. Retrieved 5 December 2025. Cress—whose Be Straw Free Campaign is hosted on Eco-Cycle's website—tells Reason that he arrived at the 500 million straws a day figure from phone surveys he conducted of straw manufacturers in 2011, when he was just 9 years old... [the Be Straw Free Campaign is] sponsored in part by reusable straw makers
  7. "A 10-year-old urges restaurants to 'be straw free'". Christian Science Monitor. 2012-07-06. ISSN   0882-7729 . Retrieved 2018-01-16.
  8. Kehoe, Megan (2014-11-19). "No more straws? Yes, says Bend student". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2018-01-16. Retrieved 2018-01-16.