Marine Litter Collected on Beach near Belfast

Rainbow

So today we've been in the world famous Dock Cafe on Belfast Marina - famous because it is a multi-faith run community cafe, where people pay what they feel.

We've had a science table, looking to at micro plastics, an art table, creating installations with the litter collected yesterday evening from a local beach clean - 55 bags collected in 90 minutes from a very narrow, short beach.  The collection included dozens of plastic ducks from a duck race, see above.

For me using art to raise awareness of the issue of marine plastic is very powerful; people see something that looks colourful, almost attractive, it appeals to the senses, can sometimes look beautiful, AND then it clicks that it's rubbish that was littering a beautiful sea shore, and had been in the sea, doing nothing at best and killing sea life at worst.  There is an emotional confusion, a discombobulation of the intellect.  How can something that I just experienced as being pleasant suddenly be so upsetting.  This makes us stop and think, and the memory lasts, hopefully causing us to question the next time we buy something that will end up being thrown away after only a few minutes of our use.

We've had local dignitaries, the press, LiveHereLoveHere, a beach cleaning organisation, and Belfast Wildlife here with us.

Heading out first thing tomorrow for Arran.