Parrotfish from Washed Ashore Exhibit, Smithsonian National Zoo

Beach Trash Art

The Sixth International Marine Debris Conference is taking place this week, March 12-16, 2018. March is also the month when many North American students head to the beach for spring break.

So this is a great time to discuss beach trash – which is unfortunately an unlimited source of art supplies. It is estimated there is 315 billion pounds of plastic in the oceans (according to PBS NewsHour).

You can listen to my podcast episode on beach trash art in this YouTube video. It originally aired in March 2018.

Here’s the Trashmagination Pinterest board about beach trash art!


Sculpture Artists who Work with Plastic Beach Trash

Washed Ashore

Cindy Pease Roe

Ocean rubbish turned into marine animals from ABC Open Tropical North on Vimeo.

Aurora Robson

Ocean Sole

Read about the time that Trashmagination met some of the artists from Ocean Sole!


Fiber Artists Who Incorporate Beach Trash

Jo Atherton from Flotsam Weaving

Stephanie Lerner’s circular fish rope weavings

Maria Ware


Beach Trash Photographers

Judith and Richard Lang

Mandy Barker


Beach Trash Artists who Focus on Lumber, Cigarettes and Sea Glass

Kirsty Elson

Caroline Beghin-Kircher

Shelly Marshall’s sea turtle from 1,200 cigarette butts

Taylor Lane’s surfboard from 10,000 cigarette butts


What can you do to address beach trash?

    • No More Plastic Straws – An organization called Strawfree.org says 500 million straws are thrown out in the US every day. I have both metal and bamboo straws that work great.
    • Make Your Own Bucket and Shovel – Sometimes my family forgets to bring a bucket and shovel. One option is to cut a plastic milk jug. You can cut the handle of the milk jug to make a little shovel, while using the base as a bucket.

  • Join a Beach Clean-up – You can clean up beach trash any day, but if you’d like to join a global event, there is an International Coastal Clean-up annually where you send in data. It’s an example of citizen science and an opportunity to get friends out to help clean up. This year, the International Coastal Clean-up is September 15th, 2018.
  • Enter a Beach Trash Art Contest – In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA hosts an annual beach trash contest. There is a contest called Splash Trash that is open until May 1. Visit splashtrash.org to vote for your favorite beach trash art entries.
  • Replace Plastic as Much as You Can – I’m going to teach you a new word, which is nurdle or N-U-R-D-L-E. This is a common plastic beach trash also called “mermaid’s tears,” and they are the raw material from which plastic objects are made. A huge amount of nurdles are in the ocean because they get washed out to sea during the manufacturing and transportation process. They look like fish eggs so many marine wildlife eat them. As long as we keep buying plastic items, there will be nurdles. So anything we can do to replace plastic with non-plastic, let’s do it.

Trashmagination’s Beach and Ocean Art

Shark TrashAnatomy - anatomy model by Trashmagination
Shark TrashAnatomy – anatomy model by Trashmagination
Weaving at the beach
Here I am, weaving at the beach!
Mom's Ocean Rug
A rug I hooked for my mom from recycled wool
Jellyfish craft from recycled applesauce snack container and recycled socks
Jellyfish craft from recycled applesauce snack container and recycled socks
Beaded Fish made from Toilet Paper Rolls
Beaded Fish made from Toilet Paper Rolls

On my birthday, I often host a Newfie Screech-In which is a humorous ceremony to swear people in as honorary Newfoundlanders! Here I am as the Codmother:

Danielle kisses the fish - 2013
Danielle kisses the fish – 2013

Washed Ashore Exhibit at the National Zoo, Summer 2016

Whale Skeleton from Washed Ashore Exhibit, Smithsonian National Zoo
Whale Skeleton from Washed Ashore Exhibit, Smithsonian National Zoo
Shark from Washed Ashore Exhibit, Smithsonian National Zoo
Shark from Washed Ashore Exhibit, Smithsonian National Zoo

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