People worldwide are using their creativity to bring awareness to the problem of plastic pollution in thought-provoking and charming ways. From creating jewellery to using plastic bags for knitting or crochet, there are hundreds of different ways to reuse everyday plastic waste. 

In a recent SHiFT Community Hub session, eXXpedition ambassador, artist and architect Lula Gil led a fun hands-on workshop to teach us how to create art from ocean plastic and litter and offered advice on using this type of session to engage others in the challenge of plastic pollution.

Meet Lula Gil

Lula Gil is an architect, artist, and environmental activist from Buenos Aires, Argentina. She learned to love the ocean from Paddleboarding, the discipline that opened her eyes and made her conscious about the health of the ocean and the impact that our consuming habits have over it.

She founded Water Journey, a movement communicating sustainability through art and water sports. Her art consists of transforming plastic waste she finds at Rio de la Plata River, into pieces of art to raise awareness about the plastic pollution affecting the seas and inspire people to connect with Mother Nature through their habits. For her, art evokes sensitivity and helps to understand this topic from an intimate perspective.

When she is not in the City working you will find her surfing at Chapa or Uruguay or traveling to the mountains to hike and ski. Her connection to nature is what drives her life’s purpose.

Creating Plastic Art 

If you have never tried creating art from plastic, here is a quick and easy step-by-step guide with a few tips from Lula!

OPTION 1

  • Plastics from the beach and beach clean-ups
  • Clean and disinfect 
  • Let them dry in open air 
  • Be sure there is no water in the selected pieces 

OPTION 2

  • Domestic plastics you can find at home
  • Make sure they don’t have any product inside

You Will Need…

  • Cardboard, foam board or some repurposed material to create the base of the art piece
  • Regular glue or professional adhesive to stick the pieces to the base
  • Elements to compose the background e.g. paints, sprays, collage stuff etc.

Let’s get started!

  1. Firstly, compose your background using paints, sprays or collage pieces and leave to dry. 
  2. Then begin to arrange the plastic pieces on the base. The plastic can be used as you found it, or broken down into smaller fragments, and can be put onto the base in any order you like. Tip: Don’t stick the plastic to the base at this stage. Instead, experiment with different compositions to see if you like it or not.
  3. Once you’re happy with the overall look, you can start gluing the plastic pieces into place. Apply a lot of glue to a large surface area to make sure it sticks! Tip: The gluing process is very messy so you may want to cover your work space with a protective sheet. 
  4. Once you’ve finished, leave the artwork overnight to make sure the glue is completely dry.
  5. Your plastic artwork is now complete!

Examples

If you’re looking for some inspiration, check out some of Lula’s pieces below!


More about SHiFT Hub Events

eXXpedition runs regular events for our community and beyond. Keep an eye on our social channels for updates on upcoming public events, and browse our blog to find out the highlights of our community events and keep up with eXXpedition news.

Thank you to 11th Hour Racing who are supporting this work.