By 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in our seas and oceans. Most of our plastic doesn’t completely vanish. Instead, it breaks down into smaller particles that are ingested by fish and livestock, ultimately making their way into the food we eat and the water we drink.
To tackle this plastic pollution, consumers are taking actions, such as using refillable water bottles, avoiding one use plastic and going to zero waste shops. Yet, real change needs to come from companies, investors, policymakers and governments.
While a few of those stakeholders are taking action by recycling plastic to create new plastic recipients or harnessing the hydrocarbons in plastic waste to generate energy, it is far from being the majority, far from being enough to resolve the plastic problem.
Many artists around the globe are using their voice and creativity to raise awareness and protect our common future.
Around the globe, artists have crafted large scale impressive pieces from plastic retrieved from the oceans. These artworks serve as powerful tools for artists to raise awareness about the pressing issue of plastic pollution. Through their creativity, artists inspire others to reflect on the environmental challenges we face and encourage action toward a cleaner planet.
Let’s explore some of the most remarkable creations and take a guess at how much plastic was used in each.
1. “The sea is not disposable”, this art piece created by the artist Robert Vannucci is 20meters long. It was made for the use of Greenpeace during the Carnival Viareggio in 2019. Their goal was to remind big companies to get rid of disposable plastic.
In Rio de Janeiro, at the Botafogo Beach, two giant fishes made plastic bottles were exhibited in 2012.
The “Plastic Family” created by the artist Panthalassa was installed in San Sebastian’s and Biarritz. "If the sea could see us, it would see us as plastic beings. Our seas are the destination for more than 8 million tons of plastic per year. "
The beer company Corona installed for the World Oceans Day in London a wave sculpture made out of plastic collected in the UK. The installation was designed by the artist Andy Billett
“Trash people” is the name given to these human-sized statue made of used cans, electronic garbage, and other rubbish. Designed by the german artist HA Schult, those sculptures are according to him, the image of ourselves: We produce trash and we will become trash.
John Dahlsen, the artist behind this installation, gathered thousands of flip-flops to craft a bottle-shaped piece that raises awareness about environmental pollution.
Greenpeace activists in Rome created this striking artwork to highlight the stakes of failing to break free from plastic
A 3 meter dragon statue was set up in Brussels in front of the European Commission to claim for the end of the use of disposable plastic and the pollution associated.
The Canadian activist and artist Benjamin von Wong created these impressive art pieces. Made with plastic waste collected from Kibera slums these human-size scultpture were exposed at the venue of the Fifth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in 2022, in Nairobi.
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