Virtual museum who's mission is litter-prevention by ARTiculating litter with humor, art and kindness. Kind of like Greenpeace meets the Dalai Lama. Museum's Goal is to go out of business because there's no more litter to showcase. Litter-art sales fund awareness, education & events.
THANK YOU for your interest. This video gives an overview of the Museum of Litter and artwork created from upcycled litter.
A litter-free world is the goal, however, we focus on litter-prevention at the shoreline as we believe it is most critical. By picking up shore litter we can prevent plastic from floating to the Pacific Garbage Patch and/or the newly discovered Atlantic Garbage Patch. Plastic ocean litter is ingested by turtles, fish and birds and they die because it is not digestible. At the shore we can also retrieve litter from the ocean as it comes in with the tide.
Please join us in invisioning, expecting and creating a clean, green, world.
Litter: The Solution
Litter.....Who Cares?
We could eliminate litter within a year.....IF...... we really care.
It seems, as a society, we just don't care enough. We have littering laws, but they're not enforced. Why?
People toss, flick and leave litter behind constantly. I see it. You see it. You know officers see it. Yet no one gets ticketed. Why?
Most people don't notice or care about litter. It just doesn't register on their radar. If noticed at all, it's seen as something insignificant.....something someone else should take care of.....a visual annoyance at worst.
With all of the other problems on the planet, caring about litter, to some, seems petty. I've had people think I'm crazy, a Debbie Downer for noticing litter, distasteful for picking it up, and contemptuously suggest I get a life. I focus on litter because, of all the serious problems that need solving, it is something I can do with my own two hands, anytime, anywhere. Litter is so easily solvable and preventable .... IF..... we really care.
IF....we really care, we need to let officials know we take this seriously and expect laws to be enforced. Nothing will change until we change... until we expect and insist it be different.
Do you care? Do you really care? Do you care enough to do something? Will you pick up? Speak up? What do you think needs to happen to make litter obsolete? What can you do? What will you do?
Can Windjammer stub out cigarette butt litter?
I wrote about Windjammer Resort's attempt to end cigarette butt beach litter in a previous post Beach Resort Draws Line in Sand: The Butt Stops Here. This is an ambitious undertaking by Windjammer because their oceanfront property sits on a public beach right next to the beach entrance. Windjammer General Manager, John Boutin can provide solutions for his guests but still has to deal with cigarette butt litter from the general beachgoing public.
Here's a photo and live WebCam of Windjammer Resort and beach so you can see for yourself. The two 2-3 story buildings on the right side of the photo are the Windjammer and that is the beach they are trying to keep clean.
I decided to document the cigarette butt litter on the Windjammer beach to see what kind of impact Windjammer's efforts made.
The day before the kickoff of this innovative initiative I picked up and counted each and every single cigarette butt on the Windjammer beach. I estimate this area is about 150 to 200 wide. Four hundred and fifty -- 450 -- butts were collected in 55 minutes.
Below is my ongoing documentation of the number of cigarette butts found each time I do a thorough cleaning of that specific area and how long it's been since the last pickup.
Windjammer Pick ups:
07/28/11 450 butts 55 minutes
02/08/12 345 butts 40 minutes after 6 mos
02/20/12 319 butts 40 minutes after 12 days
03/01/12 285 butts 45 minutes after 10 days
04/15/12 218 butts 35 minutes after 35 days
See progress? I do. Way to go Windjammer! Your efforts are paying off.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Peaceful Protest Against Litter -- 6 months old
The Museum of Litter is a BIG fan of Peaceful Protest Against Litter (PPAL). We really resonate and agree with founder Eef's approach to educating about the importance of litter prevention in a kind and peaceful way. For only being 6 months old, PPAL is a child genius at creating eco-community. I learn a lot from Eef and have asked her to share her thoughts and experiences.
GUEST POST by PEACEFUL PROTEST AGAINST LITTER's founder, "Eef":
I clearly remember the moment that I felt the spark to engage in clean ups. I was watching one of these many youtube videos on the devastating effects of environmental pollution. I felt I needed to do something. I have always been green at heart. As a child too. When I saw a beetle drifting upside down -- dead -- in our water tank......... I cried my eyes out. Even now I cannot watch some of the terrible footage about wildlife, sea life being injured or killed because of the carelessness of us human beings. When I saw this particular film (it was about piles and piles of plastic debris washed up on a shore) I just felt a flash of lightning going through my heart. The man in this video said: "not doing anything is no longer an option".
The very next day I went out on my first clean-up. It was just in my own street. I live in a city, Antwerp, Belgium. So we have the luxury of paying taxes for the city services to clean up our mess. But even then we find a lot of litter on the streets. Mainly soda containers (coca cola) and energy drink containers (red bull) and plastic bottles of all sorts. The first time (august 28th 2011 -- a summer night) I asked my boyfriend to accompany me. He -- being somewhat timid -- agreed to come along but only when it got dark... (so nobody would see us).
In the light of all that occured following this first event, I find that really amusing and endearing. Because after minutes it became clear to me that this cleaning-up to me would become something that I wanted to devote all my time and energy to. And I did. That first clean-up we used disposable plastic gloves (shame on me) and an ordinary plastic bag to put the trash in. In the first week we bought a litter-grabber and we got a special white container from our municipality. They give out litter-grabbers and special red trashbags to litter-volunteers. So now we have a whole collection of about 15 grabbers (just in case...)
Sometimes I regret only having two hands to clean up... Apart from this individual clean up I started to engage others to join in. I asked neighbours to gather and clean a specific area where we live. Or the park. I don't tend to just roam the street with other volunteers. I mean, I can do that by myself. When we do clean ups with more people we choose a specific spot mostly a square or a park. That has the most impact (in result of the clean up and on passers-by).
I started a Dutch blog and a Dutch facebook page. Dutch is my mothertongue. I found it very interesting to get in contact with other like-minded people and projects. I realized that most of what you find on litter and marine debris, plastic soup or plastic pollution is in English (youtube, facebook, articles on the internet etc.). So I started my English peaceful protest against litter blog and English peaceful protest against litter facebook page. This turned out to be "the pot of gold".
I mean, I could have never realized how many people worldwide are out there doing the same thing. Caring for our planet, putting the word out, trying to motivate others to clean up, trying their absolute best to make a positive change happen... This made me lost for words. I could have never realized meeting such inspiring, totally awesome people from India to United Kingdom, from Norway to Australia, from USA to Germany. It has been an absolute honor of virtually meeting so many incredible like-minded souls. We share our stories, our pictures of clean ups. We share a mutual indignation about the absolute horrible impact of litter and debris on wildlife and sea life.
What's so great about these intensive contacts is that we -- as a team (even living apart for thousands of miles) can make a difference. To point out the dangers of a balloon release for example or weigh in on discussions, find ways to get the ear of people who pollute or litter. What's absolutely crucial is that every single one of these green ladies and green men out there do this in the way that they see fit. With their own drive and passion. With their own talents and gifts. Not everyone has a blog and a facebook page. That is just fine. Some people work hard behind the scenes. They join in at clean-ups. Some are founders of organizations. Some make beautiful artwork out of litter (really amazing!). Others do a lot of research and post articles. Some focus on cigarette butts, others on balloons, etc. Some have a more pessimistic approach, some are maybe overwhelmed by the amount of work that has still to be done. Others are light-footed, light-hearted, maybe borderline naive (I count myself in this group).
Even in the first couple of minutes of that first clean up I did with my boyfriend I realized: I could get really very frustrated doing this really fast. And I choose not to. That is a very conscious decision for 3 reasons. First to be able to do this kind of work for a long time and to have fun doing it (very important!). Secondly as a form of self-protection. And last but not least because I strongly believe that no positive change has EVER come from a pessimistic, over-critical, sour, bitter outlook on life.
That is why I started Peaceful Protest against Litter. I like to call it my 'movement'. Because it moves me. Everyday. And I hope to get other people moving as well. I love to talk about this topic that is so close to my heart. I strongly believe that together in joined forces - over boundaries over nations and countries- we can make a difference together. But then we have to WALK the TALK. I chose the name of my movement carefully. I believe that PEACE is the answer to all challenges that we as humans face. I believe that PEACE is the only approach to reach out to other people. So I do this lovingly, kindly and friendly.
My 'baby' is 6 months old this week. I cherish this movement as my own child. So many good things have already come from this. It brought me incredible personal growth in learning, experiencing and connecting with other people.
If I could give one advice to everyone out there who has a dream (about environment or whatever topic makes your heart beat faster)... TAKE THAT FIRST STEP. Do it. Follow your heart. And the rest will follow naturally.
All the best of luck! Take care,
Eef
Litterbugs aka Tossers aka Wankers
The following was copied from a post on the Museum of Litter's Facebook page. The comments started out funny and had me in stitches so I wanted to share them with you:
I was driving behind a lady in this car for several blocks. I saw her pitch a butt at one red light. Just before she stopped at the second red light I saw cellophane fly out her window. I wasn't able to pick up her litter (safely) but I did speak to her. I ran up to her window saying, "I just wanted to thank you," and handed her one of the Museum of Litter's Thank You for your *donation* cards. I was afraid she might toss the card out the window, creating more litter, (had my video rolling), but she didn't. Hopefully she'll read the message on the back of the card telling how long it takes commonly littered items to decompose and how litter maims and kills wildlife. Hopefully, she'll learn and become one of us!
Recently I got together with thirty Jr. Surfriders, ages 7 to 11, in an after school class taught by Ed Kirik at Plantation Park Elementary (Plantation, FL) to make
greeting cards from litter. Ed heard we make art from litter and thought it would be a cool project for his class. We dumped the litter in a big pile on the floor and the kids really got into it,
crawling around on their hands and knees selecting *art supplies*. The school provided glue and scissors. In addition to litter, I brought recycled card stock, paint, ink pads, stamps, decorative scissors and decorative hole punches.
It was lots of fun and they were amazingly creative. I loved seeing which pieces of littered trash they picked and how they used them.
When I asked who thought litter was a problem, every hand went up. When I asked why, they knew all the answers. They know all about the Pacific Garbage Patch and Atlantic Garbage Patch and what you can do to help. They told me how litter can kill and maim wildlife. These kids know their stuff! They know more about the importance of litter prevention than most adults. Jr. Surfriders: You kids are awesome!
Thanks Ed and Surfrider for educating engaged, passionate kids. You're doing a great job. These kids are very inspiring!
Thanks Jr. Surfriders. You kids are definitely Earth Heroes speaking up for mother earth. Thanks for caring and leaving the planet cleaner & greener than it was left for you.
A cleaner shade of green
Been to a litter clean up lately? You're out there to do something good for the environment, you're greeted with a smile, handed a garbage bag, a pair of gloves .......... HOLD ON A SEC.
Think about it. Lots of volunteers each wearing single use gloves, carrying a single use plastic bag. Often those huge bags are each filled with just a handful of litter.
SeaAngels is doing something about that. I recently met SeaAngels when I visited their Ocean Ridge, FL monthly cleanup.
SeaAngels Monthly Cleanup at Ocean Inlet Park, Ocean Ridge, FL
I was impressed with their commitment to cleaning up in the most sustainable way possible. Their motto is: CLEANER BEACHES IN A GREENER WAY. And they do just that!
Michael Halasz, SeaAngels, handing grabber to young volunteer
THEY PROVIDE:
*Reusable plastic buckets
*Grabbers
*Reusable gloves
THEY RECYCLE:
After the cleanup they sort the litter and recycle everything that can be recycled, even batteries and mono-filament fishing line. And this is no easy feat. The Solid Waste Authority cannot provide recycle containers because they don't have the budget to empty them. So SeaAngels carts it themselves after every cleanup to Palm Beach County recycle bins.
THEY EDUCATE & ENTERTAIN:
*Have info board to educate and give out personal on-the-go ashtrays.
*Provide free snacks.
*Provide water in a green way: a huge keg with paper cups.
Kathy Silverio, SeaAngels; Sharon Huff, Museum of Litter; Robyn Halasz, SeaAngels; Nina, Eco Adventures standing by SeaAngels info table
Every environmental group could learn from the eco-conscious considerations SeaAngels puts into their cleanups. I have. I bought a pair of reusable plastic gloves for my planned pickups. I still carry and use disposables for unplanned pickups in my daily travels or for dealing with nasty items like used condoms, but I will use less. Thanks SeaAngels for guilting me greener.
Green congrats, SeaAngels. It's a LOT of extra work, but SeaAngels talk the talk AND walk the walk!
What do YOU think about SeaAngels methods? Do you have any eco habits that need changing? What works for you? Please share. We can all learn from each other as we work together for a cleaner, greener, litter-free planet.
Michelle, MLK Day 2012: this beach cleanup was for you (Malia, Sasha & kids everywhere)
Yesterday was a brutal beach day. I'm a native Floridian and a weather-wimp. I don't know how my northern litter-picking friends do this year-round.
It was really windy. I was cold. My ears hurt. My sarong became a scarf and my hoodie was flapping around madly. Each time I'd move the wind would whack me with my zipper.
Any other day, I would have turned around and headed home. But I'd given my word to Michelle Obama. She tweeted (personally with her mo signature) "Here's something dear to my heart: the MLK Day of Service. Will you join me to serve your community on Monday? http://OFA.BO/NTYQkR -mo." I tweeted to her that I would pick up litter. Michelle would have never known, but I keep my word, so I kept walking. And I'm glad I did. On my way to the shore I spotted a wounded bird.
In this video a surfer describe finding the bird an hour earlier. Actually there were two birds tangled in fishing line wrapped around their wings and one with a hook in its beak. Ruth cradles and give comfort to the bird.
Within minutes several caring people gathered to help. Someone brought a towel. Someone brought a box.
Ruth's son took the bird -- a Royal Tern -- to South Florida Wildlife Center. A radiograph showed it had swallowed a sinker. If the bird is healthy enough they'll operate and if the bird recovers 100% it will be released.
Bird in good hands, I continued my litter pickup, gathering 2.75 pounds of litter from this empty and relatively clean beach:
Michelle, if it wasn't for you, this litter would not have been collected today. Here's hoping Malia, Sasha and kids everywhere will inherit a litter-free planet.
Fortunately, none of this litter will end up becoming ocean plastic. Here are photos of two pieces of marine debris with barnacles still attached. Luckily they have been rescued from the Atlantic Garbage Patch.
If you're interested in documenting litter go to this website to find out about getting an app for your smartphone. It's not only for marine debris. It's for litter everywhere as it all ends up in the ocean eventually.
When I left the beach it was already dark with black storm clouds roiling across the sky. I was eager to get home -- tucked in for the evening. I looked for the homeless woman I'd noticed when I first arrived at the beach. She was no where in sight. I was heartened to see the outpouring of care and compassion by all those I met on the beach yet saddened to know none of us had been able to help this human being.
That's one reason I pick up litter. It needs doing. And it's something I CAN do -- with my own two hands. Any time. Any where.
