Plastic with a Purpose

Mackenzie R., The Plastic Seahorse, grade ten.

Christine Colby

In the fall of 2022, Florida was devastated by the impact of hurricanes Ian and Nicole. Our school is located on the east coast of Florida, and our campus is only one block from the ocean. Families everywhere were affected by these disasters. As I conducted the cleanup of my own property and observed the devastation in my neighborhood, I noticed that an incredible amount of trash and debris had washed up on our coastline and riverbeds.

I had recently learned about the Washed Ashore project—sculptures created from the debris of beach clean-ups. According to the Washed Ashore website, these stunning sculptures are meant to “educate a global audience about plastic pollution in the ocean and waterways and to spark positive changes in consumer habits.” This impressive project served as a catalyst for me to have my 3D Art 2 students use plastic trash to create works of art.

The Washed Ashore project served as a catalyst for my 3D Art 2 students to use plastic trash to create works of art. 

Process
I introduced the project several weeks in advance to allow students to collect an abundance of plastic materials from their home.

With the intention of using as many recycled materials as possible, students used strips of cardboard boxes to build armatures for their sculptures. Most students chose to use aquatic creatures as their subject matter, and many researched the skeletal structure of their creature to build their armature. One student decided to incorporate her sculpture into her senior portfolio and created a sculptural mask. We organized plastic materials by color and built exoskeletons of plastic pieces using hot-glue guns.

Collaboration
Students independently collaborated on ideas for themes and how to display their work. A trio of students built their bases to fit together like puzzle pieces. They would look unified as a group, but students could take their sculptures home after the display. Another group wanted to incorporate their sense of humor—a polar bear wearing reflective sunglasses and a comical lobster wearing a chef’s hat as it conducts an underwater barbeque.

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