Made entirely of plastic waste collected from beaches in Oregon, this sculpture belongs to a project called <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwashedashore.org%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">Washed Ashore</a>, which uses art to educate about environmental conservation and sustainability.<br /><br />The project started in 2010 and since then about 40,000 pounds of plastic - enough to fill a shipping container - have been collected and turned into giant sea life sculptures, depicting some of the creatures that are threatened by the debris.
Parrot fish —
Made entirely of plastic waste collected from beaches in Oregon, this sculpture belongs to a project called Washed Ashore, which uses art to educate about environmental conservation and sustainability.

The project started in 2010 and since then about 40,000 pounds of plastic - enough to fill a shipping container - have been collected and turned into giant sea life sculptures, depicting some of the creatures that are threatened by the debris.
Washedashore.org
"Marine pollution is a depressing topic, so you need to find a good way to bring people in," says artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi, who started Washed Ashore in Bandon, Oregon seven years ago with the help of volunteers. <br /><br />"One day i saw this long mosaic lane of plastic spilling up on my favorite beach. I saw all these people picking up shells along the shoreline, and I though 'Those people should be picking up the trash instead,'" she told CNN.
Shark —
"Marine pollution is a depressing topic, so you need to find a good way to bring people in," says artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi, who started Washed Ashore in Bandon, Oregon seven years ago with the help of volunteers.

"One day i saw this long mosaic lane of plastic spilling up on my favorite beach. I saw all these people picking up shells along the shoreline, and I though 'Those people should be picking up the trash instead,'" she told CNN.
WashedAshore.org
"I started rallying the troops by giving presentations. In the first few months we made 13 sculptures with 500 volunteers," she says.<br /><br />There are now around 70 sculptures. Washed Ashore is a non-profit organization and it has a permanent exhibit in Bandon, Oregon, and <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwashedashore.org%2Fexhibit%2Fexhibit-locations%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank">itinerant exhibits</a> around the US.
Shark —
"I started rallying the troops by giving presentations. In the first few months we made 13 sculptures with 500 volunteers," she says.

There are now around 70 sculptures. Washed Ashore is a non-profit organization and it has a permanent exhibit in Bandon, Oregon, and itinerant exhibits around the US.
WashedAshore.org
The trash is picked up by volunteers and then dropped off at Haseltine Pozzi's workshop: "We don't even organize beach cleanups, we just have people pick up trash and drop it off to us."<br /><br />"If you look at debris on a beach it might not seem like a lot, but once you put it all together, you see how much it really is."
Sea Lion —
The trash is picked up by volunteers and then dropped off at Haseltine Pozzi's workshop: "We don't even organize beach cleanups, we just have people pick up trash and drop it off to us."

"If you look at debris on a beach it might not seem like a lot, but once you put it all together, you see how much it really is."
WashedAshore.org
About 300 million pounds of plastic are produced globally each year and less than 10 percent of that is recycled.<br /><br />"Most of our garbage comes from the middle of the ocean," says Haseltine Pozzi."The octopus sculpture gave us a chance to show the large debris that comes in. Sometime we chop stuff up but this is just sitting on a pile of trash."
Octopus —
About 300 million pounds of plastic are produced globally each year and less than 10 percent of that is recycled.

"Most of our garbage comes from the middle of the ocean," says Haseltine Pozzi."The octopus sculpture gave us a chance to show the large debris that comes in. Sometime we chop stuff up but this is just sitting on a pile of trash."
Washedashore.org
"You can see a lot of recognizable items on the face of this marlin," says the artist. "It has lures and poles in it, so it connects especially with fishermen who must be aware of the materials they use and not discard them."
Marlin —
"You can see a lot of recognizable items on the face of this marlin," says the artist. "It has lures and poles in it, so it connects especially with fishermen who must be aware of the materials they use and not discard them."
Washedashore.org
The sculptures are made using only debris collected from beaches, without any added materials or paint: "That creates a few problems: for example, it's hard to do sea lions because there's not a lot of brown plastic around," says Haseltine Pozzi.<br /><br />"The most common colors? Definitely white, blue and black."
Rockhopper Penguin —
The sculptures are made using only debris collected from beaches, without any added materials or paint: "That creates a few problems: for example, it's hard to do sea lions because there's not a lot of brown plastic around," says Haseltine Pozzi.

"The most common colors? Definitely white, blue and black."
WashedAshore.org
The sculpture are impressive in size: this puffin is 9 feet tall and about 6 feet wide.
Tufted Puffin —
The sculpture are impressive in size: this puffin is 9 feet tall and about 6 feet wide.
WashedAshore.org
The plastic pieces are mostly in their "as found" condition: "I put a lot of recognizable items at eye level, so kids can make a connection, they can see it is garbage," says the artist.<br /><br />"There's a delicate balance between artistic beauty and making sure people know what it's made of. I don't process the material too much, so it stays universal."
Penguin —
The plastic pieces are mostly in their "as found" condition: "I put a lot of recognizable items at eye level, so kids can make a connection, they can see it is garbage," says the artist.

"There's a delicate balance between artistic beauty and making sure people know what it's made of. I don't process the material too much, so it stays universal."
Washedashore.org
The goal of the project is to educate and possibly spark a change in habits: "I hope that people who see these sculptures might think more carefully about single use plastics. They might use it for five minutes, but then it can remain in the environment for 500 years."
Whale Bones Rip Cage —
The goal of the project is to educate and possibly spark a change in habits: "I hope that people who see these sculptures might think more carefully about single use plastics. They might use it for five minutes, but then it can remain in the environment for 500 years."
Washedashore.org
This parrot fish contains beach toys: "It connects to the issue of toys being left behind on a beach. Some people actually leave them on purpose, thinking someone else will pick them up and keep them."
Parrot Fish —
This parrot fish contains beach toys: "It connects to the issue of toys being left behind on a beach. Some people actually leave them on purpose, thinking someone else will pick them up and keep them."
Washedashore.org
An estimated eight million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year. At this rate, there will be more plastic than fish in oceans <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2016%2F06%2F30%2Fworld%2Fplastic-plague-oceans%2F">by 2050</a>.
Shark —
An estimated eight million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year. At this rate, there will be more plastic than fish in oceans by 2050.
WashedAshore.org
Since the launch of the project in 2010, Washed Ashore has cleaned about 300 miles of shoreline, with over 10,000 volunteers offering 14,000 hours of their time: "Until we run out of plastic on the beach, we will keep doing our work."
Jellyfish —
Since the launch of the project in 2010, Washed Ashore has cleaned about 300 miles of shoreline, with over 10,000 volunteers offering 14,000 hours of their time: "Until we run out of plastic on the beach, we will keep doing our work."
Washedashore.org
Some of the materials collected by volunteers before they are processed. Other than glue and tape to hold them together, nothing is added.
Some of the materials collected by volunteers before they are processed. Other than glue and tape to hold them together, nothing is added.
Washedashore.org