Young people around the world are stepping up to protect the planet, bringing fresh energy, creativity, and determination to the environmental movement. At Let's Do It World (LDIW) headquarters, several young people are already making a difference. To better understand what drives them, younger members of the team were interviewed about their journeys, motivations, and hopes for the future of our planet.
These four young voices from LDIW HQ demonstrate that environmental action starts with individual awareness and commitment. Whether through transitioning careers for environmental advocacy, adopting zero-waste approaches, maintaining lifelong dedication to cleanup actions, or fighting textiles waste, each story shows that making a difference begins with small, personal changes that can inspire others and create larger impacts.
Their collective message is clear: education, action, and leading by example are the keys to creating the environmental change our planet desperately needs.
Tamta is an intern from Georgia who found her way to Estonia through her previous job, which led her to the headquarters of LDIW.
Tamta worked as an IT support specialist in Georgia and now works at LDIW on environmental issues. This represents quite a change and challenge—leaving her country and comfort zone to come to Tallinn, Estonia, for organisational tasks quite different from her previous work. However, she finds it less stressful, with a positive change of pace.
Her motivation to join LDIW came from admiration for how the organisation came together for a common purpose. "I admire how they think about how to protect the nature which we all share together, and which we have to share with future generations," Tamta said.
When asked what "environment" means to her personally, Tamta described it as a space where we all live together as a community, requiring collective action for a common cause to preserve it for the future. "The environment is a space which we use to live in and if we don't take care of it, it won't be easy to rescue."
Her biggest environmental concern is air and water pollution. In Georgia, it's difficult to drink tap water due to smell or taste issues. This concerns her most because clean water and air are essential for quality of life. She also highlights global warming and the lack of proper landfills in her village, where people typically throw trash near their houses, causing water and air pollution. Though garbage bins have been made available, people don't often use them due to inconvenient placement.
Tamta participates in making change through small actions, setting an example with recycling by always separating papers, glasses and organic garbage—simple lifestyle changes with significant environmental impact. Although younger generations are more active than older ones, she believes it's not enough. Younger generations could participate more in spreading awareness through online campaigns on platforms like TikTok, utilising their technological expertise.
Having been at LDIW for around a month, Tamta confirms it has changed her daily life. Unlike in Georgia, where she didn't think much about environmental issues, being part of the organisation now makes her carefully consider daily decisions for environmental impact.
Her message to other young people is to start with small actions, emphasising that even the tiniest action has an impact. She suggests starting with yourself—keeping your immediate area clean sets an example with broader impact. "Take care of the small environment where you spend your daily life, and it will be part of this global impact."
Sybil is the newest addition of the LDIW team, having been an intern for about a week. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Toronto, Canada, she previously worked and studied as an urban planner and is now a master's student in social entrepreneurship at Tallinn University.
Sybil learned about LDIW and World Cleanup Day through a civic innovation course at university. Her professor mentioned that the world's largest civic innovation movement came from Estonia and showed the class the WCD website. During a class visit to the LDIW office, she was impressed by the organisation's history and activities, wanting to be part of it and understand how a large NGO operates in Estonia.
For Sybil, "environment" makes her think about the future, remembering the quote: "We don't inherit the environment from our ancestors. We are borrowing it from our future generations—our children and grandchildren." This perspective makes her consider what kind of environment we're leaving for future generations.
She also recognises the importance of hope and empowerment, saying: "I think it's very important to know that we have the ability to make an impact, as individuals, as a group and as a community."
Given her urban planning background, Sybil's biggest environmental concern is city planning and how people move. Cities are transitioning toward public transport and walkability to reduce car dependence. She reflects on living in Toronto's suburbs, where cars were necessary due to unreliable and unaffordable public transport, significantly impacting both personal lifestyle and planetary health.
Sybil recognised the need for change during university after reading "Zero Waste Home", which focuses on reducing waste and avoiding unnecessary consumption. The book encouraged preventing waste from entering your life rather than just recycling or composting. She realised making these changes was easier than expected, though initially questioned what impact one person could have—a realisation that highlighted the scale of environmental issues.
Her first major change was switching to reusable products, which brought contentment from saving money while helping the environment. Rather than telling people what they should do, Sybil believes in leading by example: "I think it's more impactful if you show people that it's easy rather than telling people why they should do it." She emphasises that "the most sustainable thing is to just use what we already have."
As a millennial, Sybil believes younger generations are quite aware of environmental issues, with most people in her circle taking some action. The knowledge exists and people are making an effort where they can, which is much better than doing nothing. She considers early involvement important for developing knowledge and implementing habits. "Yes, the problem is very big, but if everyone does a little bit, then the problem gets a little bit smaller."
Though only at LDIW for a week, it has already impacted how she perceives and lives in her daily life. She appreciates being in the physical office and seeing how other offices try to be sustainable. "Coming together and working towards this initiative that we all believe in is very refreshing."
Sybil's message to younger generations is to stop buying so much, warning that overconsumption will bury us under plastic. "It is not sustainable to always be trying to keep up with the latest trend or feel like you need the newest thing when the existing one works just fine." She recommends trying thrifting as a simple action everyone can take.
Kertu is a 23-year-old Estonian who has been making a difference since Year 5 through active participation in cleanup actions. She describes herself currently as a traveller, learning about different communities and how the world works.
Kertu first heard about LDIW in 2025 but knew about World Cleanup Day previously. In Year 5, her teacher required the class to participate in WCD. Initially resistant—"But why? That's no fun!"—she later changed her perspective during a cleanup at the zoo, realising how bad the situation was and understanding the "Why". This was the moment she made a pact with herself to participate in cleanup actions whenever possible.
Her motivation to join LDIW came from meeting the organisation's president, Heidi. After searching for ways to make the world better and create impact, she was inspired by Heidi's passion and work.
For Kertu, "environment" means connection and community. "For me, the environment means harmony," she explains. “It's about living in harmony with nature, people and all the elements. When you understand that you are part of the larger ecosystem—and your role in it—you'll understand how to live in harmony with it, not hurting any other part of that ecosystem."
Her biggest environmental concern is disconnection—some generations aren't connected with nature. People don't understand the impact of their daily decisions on the environment, which is why they remain disconnected from nature. "People don't go into nature. They don't sit in it observing and listening, they don't hug the trees, nor touch the grass. They don't recognise the ecosystems in nature because they are disconnected—they live in their own minds and their own worlds."
Since Year 5, Kertu has maintained environmentally-conscious and sustainable lifestyle changes. She always picks up trash, often ending days with pockets full of the litter she's collected. She also practises consuming less, joking: "I literally have no clothes." She and her two best friends occasionally switch wardrobes for variety, sharing not only among themselves but also with their mothers and sisters—a practice she's maintained for years.
Regarding younger generations' environmental involvement, Kertu feels torn. While people are more concerned, aware and active due to social media, younger generations are quite disconnected, resulting in limited tangible action. Though people eagerly take stances on social media, this often doesn't translate to real-life action due to passivity. "At the end of the day, it's up to you to make the right decisions."
After two months with LDIW, Kertu confirms the time has impacted her daily life by showing her how to actually reach people and connect with them to make change. It has demonstrated how simple it is to do any project that will make a difference.
Her message to other young people is: "You are the change. Take action because every little action counts. Small things like appreciation and cautious decisions will change the world long-term. Don't wait around making plans—take action today.”
For a simple daily action, Kertu suggests noticing your surroundings: "If you see some litter, just pick it up." If you don't have collection tools, use your pockets as she does, thinking of the animals that might eat ground litter. "Let's just pick it up or it will stay there for a long time, and that's not good for our planet."
Gerda is a Tartu University student who found her way to LDIW through the Unemployment Fund. She worked as an intern and continues to support the organisation as a volunteer. Though she knew about World Cleanup Day, she hadn't known about the organisation behind it.
Having always had a passion for and special relationship with the environment, joining LDIW to make a real difference was the logical next step. She explains her motivations through a quote which puts everything into perspective for her: “The world can get by without us, but we can't function without the world."
For Gerda, "environment" means nature and all associated things. We are all living organisms, part of a larger ecosystem, and our surroundings constitute the environment. When we neglect it, we won't have a place to continue existing. As humans, we've forgotten to give back—only taking. We should start nourishing our environment again for longevity, and proudly pass it on to future generations.
Her biggest environmental concerns are textile waste accumulation and constant overconsumption. People endlessly buy without considering if purchases are necessary. Despite companies and individuals making changes, solutions still seem distant. She recalls an interview where someone said we should only use what we already have rather than constantly making new items. People should make more conscious decisions, asking themselves if something is really needed.
Gerda admits she only recently recognised the need for change. Her awareness coincided with joining LDIW and working with interviews for World Cleanup Day 2025 that focused on textile waste issues. These interviews opened her eyes to the scale of problems she'd known about but hadn't fully understood.
Since then, she thinks cautiously about purchases involving food, clothes and other items—encouraging others to educate themselves about overconsumption: "The easiest place to start is with yourself. Start with educating yourself, and then with implementing. Over time, we can set an example and make an impact together."
Regarding younger generations' environmental involvement, Gerda believes they have potential to be more active, but admits that sadly current involvement isn't enough. "We need more people taking action. Take Greta Thunberg for example—she is an amazing activist and very inspiring young woman. We need more people not only speaking up, but also taking action."
The knowledge and potential exist, and younger generations possess passion and determination that older generations lack. They don't care about how they’re perceived and are often spontaneous, making them great advocates for important causes.
After two months at LDIW, Gerda notices a huge impact on her daily life, changing her entire world perspective and understanding. She now understands that the common doubt, "I am only one person, what power do I have to make change?", is completely wrong. “It all starts with you,” she says. “If you can change, you can set an example for others to follow. You are important and your actions matter.”
Her message to other young people is to educate yourself, noting that there's no greater punishment than ignorance. Start with small changes to eventually make an impact on a bigger scale. "Don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. Surround yourself with like-minded people for support." And, lastly: "Be the change you want to see in others."
As a simple daily action, Gerda recommends thinking cautiously about purchases. “Asking yourself questions can help avoid unnecessary purchases, impacting both your wallet and the world. Let's stop overconsumption together!”
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