GUILTY TRASHURES

Plastic pollution is everywhere. It infiltrates our landscapes, suffocates our ecosystems, and yet, somehow, remains unseen by many. It has become such a part of our environment that it is no longer really noticeable. There is litter everywhere and especially plastic. My goal with this photo series is to make the invisible visible and the ignorable unavoidable.

Feli Hansen

GUILTY TRASHURES

Plastic pollution is everywhere. It infiltrates our landscapes, suffocates our ecosystems, and yet, somehow, remains unseen by many. It has become such a part of our environment that it is no longer really noticeable. There is litter everywhere and especially plastic. But of course, it is absurd to just accept it then. It causes soil and water pollution with disastrous consequences for all life on earth, and it harms animals that eat it or become entangled in it.

Perhaps the most poignant aspect is the apathy of the majority of people. People walking past plastic debris as if it isn’t there, enjoying pristine views while ignoring the pollution underfoot.. When I ask them whether they think there is a lot of litter, I only get an affirmative answer if a waste bin is broken somewhere or if there is a lot of waste in one place for some other reason. But if it is just lying around, they don't see it anymore. It has become such a part of our environment that it is no longer really noticeable.

99% of all plastic is made from fossil fuels. In addition, chemical additives are used in the production of plastic to determine the colour, the degree of flexibility and the lifespan of the plastic. Many of these additives have now been proven to be dangerous to the climate or our health. And if plastic waste ends up in the environment and breaks down it can also emit methane and ethane, two powerful greenhouse gases.

Ultimately, the plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller particles into micro- and nanoplastics, which end up in the soil, water and air. These particles enter our bodies both via the ecosystem of the food chain and directly via the air and water. Research into the quality of drinking water in European cities shows that the water at 72% of the 18 locations tested contains plastic fibres. In short, we drink, eat and breathe plastic every day. Although more research is needed, the first signs point to considerable health risks of microplastics in our bodies, such as chronic inflammation and disruptions to the immune system.

Because plastic breaks down slowly but steadily, we are dealing with a ticking time bomb where the impact of plastic pollution will increase exponentially in the future. We have created a culture where convenience is more important than responsibility, where a short moment of use leads to centuries of waste. So more awareness is really needed, because this problem is bigger and more disastrous than most people think.

My goal with this photo series is to challenge, to make the invisible visible, so that it can no longer be ignored.

How do I make people more aware of all the harmful plastic litter?
By capturing the plastic litter aesthetically, I hope that the image will attract attention. At first glance, you seem to be looking at beautiful nature or a detail of it. Unfortunately, appearances are deceptive, it is just a stupid piece of plastic.
Is this how we want to see our nature? Do we see how we are plasticizing our living environment?

In making this series I set myself two important rules. First, I had to find the waste like this. Moving waste is not an option. A little twisting, stretching, crumpling or wiggling can be done, but the piece of waste must always keep a tangent to the original spot. This makes the playing field clear and emphasises how much waste there must be to make these images. As such, a lot of trash I came across I was only able to pick up without taking a photo of it. Hopefully, the images I did manage to make create some additional awareness and thus a step in the right direction for solving our litter problem.

With the "Guilty Trashures* I hope to inspire the viewer to look at plastic in nature differently. And to recognize that small, everyday actions (refusing single-use plastic, keeping our environment clean, and calling for sustainable policies) can contribute to a structural impact.

I hope that this photo series will not remain just a collection of images; but will actually inspire people to take action. A reminder that plastic pollution is not someone else's problem, but everyone's. And that if we want to preserve the beauty and health of our planet for future generations, we need to act now.