Carmen de Jesus

Brazilian environmental advocate instrumental in banning plastic bags in South America

Carmen de Jesus (born 1972) is a Brazilian environmental activist and community organizer who pioneered the movement to ban single-use plastic bags in South America. Her grassroots campaign in the state of Paraná led to Brazil's first statewide plastic bag ban in 2005, which became a model policy adopted by 12 other states by 2015. This initiative reduced plastic waste in the region by an estimated 30% and inspired similar legislation across Latin America.

Beginning her career as a social worker in Curitiba's favelas, de Jesus noticed how plastic waste disproportionately affected low-income communities. In 2000, she founded the Plastic Free Paraná coalition, mobilizing over 500 local organizations to pressure lawmakers. Her 2004 documentary Plastic Paradise (available on Vimeo) exposed the environmental impact of plastic bags through community stories, gaining international attention.

De Jesus' work expanded into creating the first plastic recycling cooperatives in Brazil, providing jobs for 2,000+ workers by 2010. Her advocacy led to the 2010 UNEP Plastic Pact, a global framework adopted by 30 countries. In 2015, she received the Goldman Environmental Prize for her innovative community-driven strategies.

Today, her organization trains activists in 15 countries through the Beyond Plastic Academy. Her memoir Breaking the Plastic Habit (2018) details her strategies for systemic change. Key innovations include the 'Plastic Credit' system where businesses fund community recycling programs in exchange for reduced waste quotas.