Plastic Planet: Time For Change

We live on a Plastic Planet. With ubiquitous micro-plastics and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch covering 1.6 million square kilometres (that is three times the size of France) which is impacting on marine ecosystems and sea life, it seems that we do indeed live on a plastic planet. However, there is good news! We are now recycling more plastic than ever before, with new technology being developed to allow more efficient and wider plastic recovery; and many people are more mindful of minimising waste and choosing recyclable or reusable materials over single use plastic. But we can all do more! We are proud to be working with Escape Arts, alongside Stratford Climate Action and Stratford Friends of the Earth on an inspirational and powerful Climate Change Community Challenge for 2021. The message is that we can all change this Plastic Planet.

Plastic Planet brings together nine local schools plus community groups and businesses to promote positive action to help our environment, leading local action in preparation for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November. Embedded in this project are accessible environmental pledge programmes developed by Stratford Climate Action; small steps we can each take to make a difference.The project will bring together a series of talks, presentations and creative competitions, resulting in a digital legacy of work and resources to sustain action moving forward.

The project is also part of an international internship programme with Warwick University supporting international climate change work with Universities in the UK, Australia and Malaysia. Students from across the globe are also building on Stratford’s local Pledge for the Planet campaign to create educational resources to share at an online international event at the end of the July.

Plastic Planet – Time for change

Escape Arts is working with nine local schools and community groups to develop a high impact arts installation within the High Street shop windows of Debenhams here at Bell Court. The installation, led by local artist Ros Ingram explores how we can reuse materials by creating a spectacular giant landscape featuring some of Britain’s endangered animals made entirely from waste materials and household rubbish. The installation highlight show much of our everyday rubbish should be seen as a valuable resource and not simply thrown in the bin and destined for landfill. It illustrates how precious our wildlife is and how it is utterly connected to what we do as individuals.

Plastic Planet is on display now until after the COP26 Conference in November.