Sculptures made from discarded flip-flops salvaged from beaches across Kenya are being featured at the Frenchgate shopping centre in Doncaster. Ocean Sole, a social enterprise, turns the flung-away footwear into artworks in the form of sea creatures. The Frenchgate Centre says displaying some of the art reminds people about the harm plastic pollution can cause. The Kenyan charity’s efforts involve more than 1,000 people through the collection of flip-flops and direct employment, according to the shopping centre.
By using flip-flops instead of wood, Ocean Sole said its recycling of styrofoam helped save more than 500 trees a year. Such work contributes about 10-15% of its revenue for beach clean-ups, vocational and educational programmes, and other conservation efforts, it added. In 2021, Ocean Sole said it collected more than 450,000kg of ocean trash, upcycling a flip-flop into hand-carved artwork every 60 seconds.
Frenchgate Centre marketing manager Ian Leech said: “We are deeply inspired by Ocean Sole’s initiative. We believe their work isn’t just brilliant, it’s transformative and we are thrilled to give them our support. By placing these artworks on display, we aim not only to celebrate creativity but also to underline the critical importance of recycling and the transformative power that art holds in instigating change.” He said the centre was seeking opportunities to donate the “remarkable art pieces” to local schools.
Sculptures made from discarded flip-flops salvaged from beaches across Kenya are being featured at the Frenchgate shopping centre in Doncaster. Ocean Sole, a social enterprise, turns the flung-away footwear into artworks in the form of sea creatures. The Frenchgate Centre says displaying some of the art reminds people about the harm plastic pollution can cause. The Kenyan charity’s efforts involve more than 1,000 people through the collection of flip-flops and direct employment, according to the shopping centre.
By using flip-flops instead of wood, Ocean Sole said its recycling of styrofoam helped save more than 500 trees a year. Such work contributes about 10-15% of its revenue for beach clean-ups, vocational and educational programmes, and other conservation efforts, it added. In 2021, Ocean Sole said it collected more than 450,000kg of ocean trash, upcycling a flip-flop into hand-carved artwork every 60 seconds.
Frenchgate Centre marketing manager Ian Leech said: “We are deeply inspired by Ocean Sole’s initiative. We believe their work isn’t just brilliant, it’s transformative and we are thrilled to give them our support. By placing these artworks on display, we aim not only to celebrate creativity but also to underline the critical importance of recycling and the transformative power that art holds in instigating change.” He said the centre was seeking opportunities to donate the “remarkable art pieces” to local schools.
An Aussie man has been praised for questioning why councils don’t empty all household rubbish bins every week. He said his council collects rubbish from all three bins every bin night, so he doesn’t ever have to face the common suburban conundrum of figuring out which bins to put out. Matt Carroll is a buyers agent from Camden, in Sydney’s southwest, and said the best thing about living in the area is its weekly collection, branding it a “game changer”.
“All three bins get emptied every single week,” he said in a video online while standing next to his empty red, green, and yellow bins. “I don’t have to check a calendar to try to remember, ‘Is it green bin night’, Is it yellow bin night? All three. Every week. That’s why you want to live in the Camden region.”
While Camden Council operates its waste collection services five days a week and empties red garbage bins, yellow recycling bins, and green waste bins weekly, residents elsewhere in the state aren’t so lucky and have to put up with their rubbish for weeks at a time. But according to Local Government NSW (LGNSW), it’s beyond the state government’s control.
“Essentially, it’s up to each council to decide the type and frequency of waste collections in consultation with the community,” LGNSW President, Cr Darriea Turley, told Yahoo News Australia. “There is a requirement that every council provides a waste collection service of some kind, but there’s no stipulation on frequency, size of bin, or even type of bin – that’s all up to each council.”
She added that many factors come into play when it comes to rubbish collections, and each council has to address the unique needs of their communities. “All councils should look to introduce a service that best meets the community needs at the right price the community is willing to pay,” Cr Turley said.
A service would have to consider NSW waste and resource recovery targets, including the upcoming mandate for all households to have a Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) collection by 2030, as well as the size and types of bins, costs of the service, and frequency of collection depending on community preferences and needs. For example, with the introduction of food to green-lid bins, many councils have changed collection cycles so that the green-lid bin is collected weekly to reduce odour, while the red-lid bin is collected fortnightly as it should have largely inert material.
While Cr Turley commended Carroll “for his enthusiasm and his praise of his local council,” she argued that “all 128 councils across the state are working extremely hard for their communities”. Carroll’s TikTok video, which has since been viewed more than 25,500 times, sparked plenty of comments from “jealous” residents outside of Camden, frustrated that they aren’t offered the same weekly service.
“It should be like this everywhere with the amount we pay for rates,” one person argued. “All councils should be like that!!!” another agreed. “Bayside Council — no green bin provided and yellow collected fortnightly,” another said. “So jealous, Campbelltown don’t do that,” someone else added.
While others said they had to search for alternatives due to their less frequent collection. “This is why we take our rubbish to my mother-in-law’s if our bins are full,” one woman wrote online.
Source: BBC, Yahoo News Australia
