Frida Ponce de León

Guatemalan environmental activist leading the fight against plastic pollution through legislative change.

Frida Ponce de León is a Guatemalan environmental lawyer and activist best known for her pioneering work in creating the world's first national tax on single-use plastics. Born in 1978, her career took a decisive turn in 2019 when she founded the organization Plástico Zero, which became instrumental in pushing Guatemala's landmark 2020 Law Against Single-Use Plastics. This legislation, the first of its kind in Latin America, imposed a tax on single-use plastic bags and utensils while promoting sustainable alternatives.

Her advocacy gained global attention after she delivered a viral TED Talk in 2021 titled 'How Guatemala became the first country to tax single-use plastic', which has been viewed over 2.3 million times. Ponce de León's approach combines legal expertise with grassroots mobilization, working directly with communities to implement recycling programs and plastic-free markets.

In 2023, she launched the Plastic Free Latin America initiative, expanding her work regionally. Her efforts have inspired similar policies in neighboring countries like El Salvador and Honduras. Ponce de León's achievements were recognized by Time Magazine in 2022 as one of the 'Silent Heroes of the Climate Crisis.'