With strength and perseverance, anyone can make a difference in the world. Regardless of age, race, status, et cetera— if there is a genuine resolve in the heart, magic occurs. Arjun Sharma is living proof of this, and he plans to tackle a worldwide issue that is plaguing beaches through his handy invention.

A high school junior in Hawaii, Sharma developed ‘CleanMyBeach’, an app that essentially bundles cleanup groups created by people around the world and assists with bringing together a community focused on cleaning beaches in their areas. He hopes that this will bring environmental awareness to come together as people and fight the bigger fight on a global scale.

Humans consume five trillion plastic bags in a year. That adds up to 160,000 plastic bags in a second. The worst part is that only 1% of the plastics get recycled. Most of them are made with polyethylene which takes centuries to break down. 10% of plastic ends up in the ocean where it is broken down into pieces— pieces that eventually get ingested by fish that are unable to digest it. If the plastic stays intact, they may possibly endanger marine lives through choking and suffocation. This should be enough to spark concern in people, but unfortunately, environmental awareness and actions are not gaining a much needed faster momentum.