Plastic Kandinsky

Hello
I am so excited.

I have just started an on line credited course with the Open University of the Netherlands on Micro Plastic. I've only done one tiny introductory bit and already learned new stuff.
1) Microplastic is not the small bits of plastic you see littering the beach, it's the stuff that is hardly visible, less than 5mm.
2) Globally an estimated 8 million tonnes of plastic finds it's way into the oceans each year.
3) What does the biggest proportion of micro plastic consist of?...............I never would have guessed. Tyre dust. So as we drive on the roads friction causes tiny particles of tyre to be rubbed off. Rain washes into the drains, to streams, rivers and into the sea.  We think types are made of rubber, and rubber is a component, but mostly they are now made from man made chemicals derived from crude oil.

Did I tell you I now have 25% of my funding? Gofundme page is still open.  My sister has donated a pile of lovely clothes that are now on eBay. I didn't get the grant I applied for however I have written to a bunch of local plastic producing businesses, local WI's, newspaper for talks, interviews, support, funding etc.

Beach Toys 

Hi Everyone

This photo is of some items that I have rescued on my beach walks to reuse.  You can see that I have cut the red and orange balls in half, they are in the process of becoming 2 pairs of funky earrings - available for sale.  The spade, along with another spade and bucket, have been donated to Macclesfield's Artspace.  The yellow heart - from a helium balloon - and the children's sand moulds have also been converted into funky earrings - already being worn by my daughter at festivals.

Great news - my fundraising has almost reached 25% of my target.  You won't see this on my fundraising page as much has been personal donations and sales.  However, you can still donate on www.gofundme.com/plasticseas

Sad news - I'm working on the south coast again - so fab to be by the sea - BUT noticed as the tide was going out by the rocks - on what was otherwise a lovely clean beach - a big collection of 10cm long blue and white plastic 'tubes' from  'Q' tips/cotton buds.  These are flushed down toilets/sinks and because they are so thin they are not trapped by the sewage systems filters. They are disastrous for sea animals, getting stuck in their gullets etc. and look horrible mixed up with the sand and pebbles. PLEASE PLEASE buy the varieties with paper 'sticks'.

My home for 5 days

Plastic Bottles from Coca Cola Washed Up on the Beach

Sailing past Caernarvon Castle

I've just had an awesome 5 days sailing round Anglesey doing my Competent Crew sailing certificate.  I discovered I don't get seasick - which is a relief.   I loved learning about how to use the wind to travel, not relying on fuel.  I also discovered that sailing has a whole language of it's own.  We saw porpoises, seals, cormorants and other sea birds AND a lot of floating plastic, particularly bottles - coke bottles.

You may be aware that there are various petitions going on to get Coca Cola to take more responsibility for the billions of plastic bottles they produce every year.  They claim to use recycled plastic, but the fact is it's only about 6%.  Plastic is designed to never break down, and yet much of it is only for single use.  Only about 10% of plastic is recycled due to the cost and difficulties of separating it.  The remainder is sent to landfill although much escapes and ends up floating downhill into the sea.  In countries where there are no rubbish collections, the plastic just piles up in the environment, particularly on beaches.

Once in the sea it is battered constantly by the waves, affected by UV radiation and breaks down into ever smaller and smaller pieces - what we call micro plastic which gets mixed up with the plankton floating on the ocean surface.  Plankton is the food source for all life in the sea.  To make matters worse this plastic acts as a sponge for the synthetic chemicals washed into the sea - PCB's, flame retardants, dioxins etc - and is eaten by fish, birds and sea mammals.  The micro plastic is now becoming so small, (added to by micro beads in beauty products and fibers from washing 'fleece' type clothing) that it is passing through the digestive systems of fish and finding it's way into our food supply.

Exxpedition UK 2017 will be sampling the micro plastics floating in the offshore waters of the entire coast of the UK.  It is being funded by each participant.  If you would like to contribute to my fare, enabling me to use my science, art, health and teaching background to understanding the full extent of the problem surrounding the UK, please visit my crowdfunding page www.gofundme.com/plasticseas

Thank you

Sphere Made from Single Use Plastic Champagne Flutes
by Deborah Maw, 2010

Welcome to readers from the Marine Conservation Society website.

To my regular readers, my blog is now linked to the MCS website, which is very exciting.

A bit of introduction for new comers.
This blog came about because I am part of an all female crew of citizen scientists sailing around the UK in August 2017 sampling the entire UK coastal waters for micro plastic.  This is the first time the entire coastline is being sampled and is being funded by the crew themselves.  The results will be freely available once processed and various students have completed their theses.

The expedition has been organised by Pangaea who have already undertaken two such citizen science expeditions in other parts of the globe, contributing to the knowledge of micro plastic pollution now widely circulating.

This expedition is a bit more extensive as we will be stopping at various ports, including the capital cities Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh and London, to do outreach work; science and art, talks and teaching about the issues of plastic.

I am particularly interested in this expedition as it encompasses many aspects of my career history and interests.  I started as a research Biochemist, getting a PhD, then became a teacher of science, after which I retrained as a complementary health therapist.  Then 10 years ago I went back to college gaining a foundation degree in art and design specialising in using waste materials, particularly single use plastic and have since been teaching art using waste materials in various settings to promote environmental awareness.  Finally I have a passion for the sea, walking and wild camping the long-distance UK coastal paths and a goal to learn to sail in 2017.  I'm booked onto a competent crew course next week!

My intention of the blog is to keep friends, family and followers informed of the expedition; fundraising, preparations, experiences and results.  I am also publishing images of my waste plastic art work, much of which is sea plastic, photos taken on my coastal walks.

Fundraising
Each member of the crew must pay for their passage.  I have created a crowdfunding page www.gofundme.com/plasticseas and I am selling cards of my sea plastic artwork and making earrings from plastic bottles that I find.  So far I have raised nearly 20% of my fare. If you can donate anything please go to my fundraising page.  I will also be doing some talks/film viewings. If you would like to buy some crafts or host a talk/film please email me deborahmaw@hotmail.co.uk

Preparations
Although not a prerequisite, I am taking a 5 day competent crew course next week (try out my sea legs), which was a 60th birthday present to myself. I'll be sailing from Port Dinorwic to Holyhead on Anglesey.
One of my roles for the expedition is to organise our visit to Stornoway. We will be holding a day or art and science workshops in the Art Centre, An Lanntair on August 21.  I will also be involved in Edinburgh where we have access to ASCUS, a science laboratory full of microscopes, some with cameras.  I'm planning to do some art of microscopic images of micro plastic.  I have also been involved in applying for funding from the Wellcome Institute in London. My sea plastic cards are being used as group crowdfunding gifts and the images are to be displayed in an art gallery in Aran where we will also be stopping.
Amazingly - a fellow crew member lives in Macclesfield where I am often based.  We will be contacting our local paper, radio station and businesses for support.

More to come.....

www.gofundme.com/plasticseas