Green Actions

Plastics art project

Raising awareness of the impact of plastics on the environment.

Inspired by the plethora of information surrounding plastics and its impact on the environment, staff working in the Art Foundation department at Loughborough University took on the task of raising personal awareness amongst staff and students regarding this issue.

Through the introduction of a practical project brief they set out to challenge behaviour relating to the use of plastic on a daily basis. 153 students took part in this project.

Throughout the project, students were required to research into single-use plastic and discuss the positives and negatives of the material.

This information was utilised, interpreted by students within the four disciplines of Fine Art, Textiles, Visual Communication and 3D and formed the basis of a variety of concepts for development, leading to a range of individual and diverse responses.

One student, Maisie Minors – who specialises in Visual Communications - crafted a burger and chips meal made entirely from recycled plastic cups to illustrate how sea creatures can easily mistake plastic waste in the ocean as food.

Many students reported that the project changed their views on single-use plastic and has made them more conscious of the impacts it is having on the earth.

The hope is that through audience engagement, the viewers’ perception will be altered and actions relating to the use of plastic will be considered.

The resulting artwork went on to be exhibited at a number of sites across the country including at the offices of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in London.

In collaboration with