Drawing attention to World Environment Day
In the lead up to World Environment Day Wingecarribee Shire Council will be unveiling a real-time public art piece designed to question our use of single-use plastics.
Council’s Environmental Project Officer Michael Rhydderch responsible for the unique artwork exhibition explained the purpose of the temporary display.
“As a society we’re still way too dependent on single-use plastics,” he said.
“Plastic shopping bags, takeaway cutlery, straws and plastic bottles are some of the most common items found in public litter.”
“But single-use plastics aren’t just unsightly,” Michael added. “Their excessive use can lead to very real long-term detrimental effects on our environment, wildlife and even health.”
Research shows that Australians use around 5 billion plastic bags each year and on average we use these bags for less than one minute.
“Plastic never truly disappears,” Michael said. “It only breaks down into smaller parts so in effect every single plastic item that has been littered is still amongst us polluting the environment.”
To help raise awareness of plastic pollution, artist Leo Uribe will be creating a large-scale eco-friendly chalk artwork in Bowral’s Corbett Plaza on Saturday June 2.
“We believe that on completion the mural will serve as a great awareness raising tool and help prompt conversation about our over-reliance on single-use plastics,” Michael said. “At the same time it may also make some of us think about practical and environmentally friendly alternatives to single-use plastics.”
The artwork will also serve as a prelude to Plastic Free July which Council is also encouraging the community to support.
“While the actual design is being kept a secret for now we can reveal that it will illustrate how plastic pollution affects our natural environment right here in the Southern Highlands,” Michael said.
“We encourage everyone to head on down to Corbett Plaza on the Saturday morning and watch the creation take shape and perhaps take and share photos of the artwork to help spread the message.”
During the exhibition guests will be encouraged to use this year’s World Environment Day hashtag theme #BeatPlasticPollution on their personal social media posts.
“We believe that community interaction and word-of-mouth can be really positive drivers for change,” Michael added.
“With this in mind Council will be hosting a number of special Plastic Free events in July that we’re confident the community will support”.
Details will be posted on Council’s website at www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/events and on Council’s Facebook page.
The World Environment Day Beat Plastic Pollution mural will be created from 9am on Saturday 2 June in Bowral’s Corbett Plaza.
To learn more about July’s Plastic Free Challenge visit www.plasticfreejuly.org.