More than 300 HPHS students helped create #CleanSeas – from project design to collecting bottles in the lunchroom, local retirement homes, and area events to fabrication and installation. Click to see our labor of love!
#Cleanseas
For FOCUS 23, HPHS Environmental Science students made a collective intention to raise awareness about plastic waste. Inspired by Loney Whale, Garth Britzman’s PARK(ing) Day, and our partner Shedd Aquarium’s Shedd The Straw, the school created #CleanSeas, a sculpture upcycling 5,000 single-use plastic water bottles filled with colored water.
Join us saying “no thanks” to single-use plastic and embrace reusable or biodegradable alternatives.
Thin-film plastic makes up nearly half of all plastic waste entering our oceans
Every. Single. Year.
Half of all plastic produced, like the water bottles in our art installation, are designed for single-use purposes – 80% of which is never recycled.
When we throw away plastic, it doesn’t disappear. Ultimately, all plastic waste finds its way into oceans where it never breaks down completely. Instead, it turns into into tiny toxic particles called microplastics, now ubiquitous in our rainwater and bloodstreams.
While the magnitude of the crisis can seem overwhelming, we ALL can be part of the solution by changing how we consume and dispose of the plastic we use.
OUR goals
8 habits to limit your plastic footprint
Clean a Beach
Shop Sustainably
Choose food with no plastic packaging, carry a reusable bag, buy local products, and refill containers to reduce your plastic waste and effect on the environment.
Zero-Waste Lifestyle
Become a zero-waste champion. Invest in sustainable, ocean-friendly products, reusable coffee mugs, water bottles, and food wraps. Consider options like menstrual cups, bamboo toothbrushes, and shampoo bars.
Travel Sustainably
On vacay, watch your single-use plastic intake. Refuse miniature bottles in hotel rooms, take your own reusable drinking bottle, and use reef-safe, microplastic-free sunscreen.
Advocate for Change
Ask your local supermarkets, restaurants, and suppliers to ditch plastic packaging and tell them why. Pressure your local authorities to improve how they manage waste.
Clean a River
Rivers are direct pathways of plastic debris into the ocean. Join a river clean-up or do your own! The river will look nicer and benefit its ecosystem and the ocean.
Dress Sustainably
The fashion industry produces 20% of global wastewater and 10% of global carbon emissions. Consider sustainable clothing lines, thrift and vintage shops, and clothing repairs.
Go Plastic-Free
Personal care products are a major source of microplastics. Look for plastic-free face wash, day cream, makeup, deodorant, shampoo, and other products.
