Who didn’t want to be a mermaid or merman when they were younger? The idea of living under the seas, interacting with aquatic wildlife and escaping to the ‘big blue’ is an entrancing idea to most children (and, okay, some adults).
However, if mermaids were real, they’d be suffering along with millions of other marine animals all around the world. This is because humans are incredibly wasteful, especially when it comes to discarding single use plastic. Every year, humans throw away enough plastic to circle the globe four times. And, much of that trash makes its way to the oceans, where it swirls in great convergences – the largest is twice the size of Texas! Some pieces break down into particles and are ingested by various species, while other debris actually chokes and trap creatures, such as turtles, birds, and fish. It’s also worth noting that plastic pollution releases toxins that can potentially contaminate water sources, as well as adversely affect air quality.
To highlight this conundrum, Montreal-based photographer Benjamin Von organized the project Mermaids Hate Plastic. Von, who is enamored by water, wants the populace to realize that the average American uses about 167 water bottles per year. By the time they are 60 years old, then, they’ve contributed 10,000 to the ecosystem.
For the photoshoot, 10,000 plastic bottles were borrowed from Tomra waste management center. The end result, as you can view below, is a captivating and somewhat mystical-looking series of unique photographs.
Learn more about the project by visiting Von’s website, MermaidsHatePlastic.com, and by following the trending #MermaidsHatePlastic.
Plastic pollution is a serious problem.
80% of plastic trash ends up in the oceans, where it affects water quality and marine life.
An average individual will discard 10,000 plastic bottles by the time they’re 60 years old.
Mermaids Hate Plastic seeks to raise awareness about this issue.
“Over the course of a few days, a small army of volunteers came to help de-label, un-cap, and clean our 10,000 bottles,” says Von.
Exclaims the artist, “Change happens when individuals come together to fight for something they believe in.”
Watch the video below:
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