When Charlie Erlewein heard about what plastic straws could do to turtles, like her pet Franklin, she decided to speak out.

"If it ends up in the ocean or on the land it can hurt the turtle because they can think it's food. They can get sick and they can die," she said.

"I hope the council can do something for the oceans and the land to stop people just throwing rubbish on the ground."

She wrote a letter to Wodonga councillor Kat Bennett to "tell her how bad plastic straws really are".

Victory Lutheran College stopped using plastics at the school since the start of this year and Charlie said her young friends now understand why straws can be dangerous.

"After I told them what I might be doing, they're starting to support me more for wanting to do the right thing," she said.

She has become an ambassador for the Straw No More organisation, where her mother is a board member.

Turtles can be found in Wodonga's wild, often seen at Sumsion Gardens.

Cr Bennett said she was impressed by how well-informed Charlie was when she received the letter.

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"It's so powerful coming from people Charlie's age," she said.

"We don't often actually hear from people that's why it's so impressive that Charlie at her age wants to do something about that and goes about it in such a proactive way.

"The decisions that council make affect people like Charlie the most, she the one who has to live with them the longest.

"It's so important that young people like Charlie have their say."

Wodonga Council will have a plastics policy go out for public comment soon, to mirror the Albury Council policy under their two cities, one community initiative.

It will involve banning plastic not just at the council, but events support by the council and held on council-owned land.

"That scope is much bigger than I first thought," Cr Bennett said.

"It is a behavioural change thing, but it's the role of bodies like councils to actually put some things in place and help vendors or stall holders work it out."

People can take the pledge to stop using plastic straws by visiting the website strawnomore.org or the Straw No More Albury Wodonga Facebook page.

The organisation is also looking for anyone interested in becoming an ambassador in the area.