TEXT: Von Hernandez  (Manila, Philippines) is a multi-awarded Filipino environmental activist who has been campaigning on waste and toxics pollution for more than 25 years. He is the Global Coordinator of the global Break Free from Plastic Movement, consisting of more than 8,000 groups and individual supporters worldwide, which have come together to reverse the plastic pollution crisis. Before his current assignment, Von was Global Development Director of Greenpeace International where he oversaw the development and performance of Greenpeace's national and regional offices worldwide. He also served as the Executive Director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia (GPSEA), where he led some of the group's most successful campaigns and programs in Southeast Asia. He co-founded and spearheaded various environmental coalitions and partnerships at the national,regional, and global levels including the Ecowaste Coalition in the Philippines, Waste Not Asia, and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA). In 2003, he was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for his work, which led to the first national ban on waste incineration. Von also gained recognition from Time magazine as one of the Heroes for the Environment in 2007. He holds a Masters degree in Public Management from the National University of Singapore.