Build a plastic monster

We asked members of the public to help construct a giant sea-monster from waste plastic.

The Highcross invited us to take over an unused unit at the Churchgate entrance, in order to highlight the dangers of plastics, especially single-use plastics. We used the occasion of Halloween to highlight that, rather than zombies and vampires, we should truly be afraid about the role of plastics in the environment. From the streets of Leicester, to tropical islands, to the deepest parts of the ocean, plastic pollution is now regarded as a serious problem which will definitely come back to haunt us.

Shoppers and passers were given the chance to help construct the 'Kraken', a monster of the deep, from plastic waste. The finished Kraken will be displayed in the Highcross as a reminder of how plastics are terrorizing the oceans.

In addition to constructing the Kraken, we offered tips to shoppers about how to reduce their plastic waste and invited them to make and share a 'plastic pledge selfie'. We also created a mural of a clean and polluted ocean on the giant chalkboard.