Model Laura Wells dons mermaid dress made from ocean rubbish
USING recyclable plastic and aluminium cans she found washed ashore in Sydney, artist Marina De Bris has created a costume akin to the sirens of the sea to emphasise the dire condition of our waterways.
Southern Courier
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WITH the amount of litter washed away every day into our oceans, it is unlikely the mythical mermaid would be a friend to humankind.
Using recyclable plastic and aluminium cans she found washed ashore at Sydney’s eastern beaches, artist Marina De Bris has created a costume akin to the sirens of the sea to emphasise the dire condition of our waterways.
For the project, Ms De Bris teamed up with international model and marine biologist Laura Wells.
“This piece seeks to shine a light on plastic pollution and how we can all make an impact by recycling our containers properly,” Ms De Bris said. “Carelessly discarding bottles and aluminium cans not only destroys the beauty of our state, but can be harmful to local wildlife, and to ourselves.”
The artist was commissioned to create the piece by Return and Earn container deposit scheme network operator TOMRA to mark the world’s very first Global Recycling Day on March 18. Prior to the launch of the container deposit scheme, 160 million drink containers ended up littering NSW, making up 44 per cent of the volume of all litter across the state.
“Laura Wells and Marina De Bris’ efforts in drawing attention to litter prevention and ocean conservation truly get to the heart of what the container deposit scheme aims to achieve, ” TOMRA Collection Australia president Ryan Buzzell said.
“This is the biggest litter reduction initiative in the history of NSW, and will have an enormous impact on reducing the amount of rubbish on our beaches, streets and waterways right across the state..
According to the EPA, residents have already returned more than 62,000 drink containers to the reverse vending machine at Randwick Golf Club, Malabar.
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