Animal Sculptures Made from Marine Debris Help Promote Waste Reduction

An estimated 315 billion pounds of plastic enters oceans each year. And in an effort to raise awareness around that problem, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago has partnered with nonprofit Washed Ashore for a traveling educational exhibit entitled Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea. The exhibit, which is on view until September 2018, features 19 colorful and larger-than-life sculptures made entirely of marine debris collected from beaches along the Oregon shoreline.

“Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea has a great message that connects to Shedd’s conservation and sustainability initiatives,” says Jaclyn Wegner, director of conservation action at Shedd Aquarium. “Shedd has been working toward improving its sustainability and waste management efforts for many years, and one of our major efforts is reducing our use of plastics. We no longer use plastic bags in our gift shop, and we have stopped using plastic condiment containers in our cafes. We also launched our Shedd the Straw campaign this past Earth Day, which raises awareness about the impacts plastic straws have on the environment.”

In addition to those efforts, Shedd Aquarium hosts beach cleanups through its Great Lakes Action Days (GLAD) initiative. In the warmer months, groups clean up litter along the beaches, and in the cooler months, groups focus on habitat restoration.

The exhibit also encourages conservation by inspiring exhibit viewers to reduce, reuse, refuse, repurpose and recycle materials.

To help exhibit viewers understand how they can make a difference, the sculptures include the following suggested actions:

Currently, 10 sculptures are on view at Shedd Aquarium. Six more will be added in November, and the final three will be added in spring 2018.

“Plastic surrounds us, and you are likely sitting on or wearing plastic right now,” says Wegner. “And while we cannot eliminate the use of plastic altogether, we can be mindful of how we utilize it and manage it.”

In this gallery, you can view a selection of sculptures from the exhibit.