13/07/2020
In honour of Plastic-Free July this month, we are bringing to light some of Mercedes me store’s past events and initiatives presented by eco-champions aiming to highlight the problem of plastic waste in society.
Seeing is believing. Which is why Mercedes me Store Melbourne chose to engage with local eco-champion for a unique one-off installation. Joost Bakker’s installation depicted 135kgs of plastic waste suspended in the open ceiling of the store. This is how much plastic waste the average Australian generates each year; of which only 12% is recycled, with the rest often ending up in our waterways and natural landscape. This large scale ‘plastic footprint’ was intertwined with natural tree branches collected from Joost’s Monbulk Farm. It aimed to represent the grim impact it has on the environment, in which our waste is often left to degrade within nature.
In 2009 Tim Silverwood co-founded the not-for-profit organisation Take 3 for the Sea that asks people everywhere to simply take 3 pieces of rubbish with them when they leave a beach, waterway or anywhere in nature. Over the past 10-years Take 3 has grown from a grassroots project to a globally recognised movement removing over 10 million items of rubbish from the environment in 129 countries. Tim shared his experiences in establishing the Take 3 charity and his efforts to date building a movement to protect our oceans. As we discover more and more each day about the impacts of plastic pollution and waste on the environment and oceans, it's clear we need people like Tim and organisations like Take 3 to continue to mobilise each and every one of us to protect our planet.
Lastly, but certainty not the least. We have this astonishing art piece, the ‘Flotsam Bench’ by Brodie Neill. Brodie collaborated with an international network of scientists, researchers, environmental experts, beachcombers, engineers, artisans and manufacturers to collect and reconstitute small fragments of plastic washed-up on the shores around the globe to produce this bench made entirely out of Ocean Terrazzo. It was unveiled to the Australian market at Mercedes me Store Melbourne, and given the importance of taking a leadership stance on such topics and sustainability in store, Mercedes me purchased the bench which is proudly on display for guests to enjoy.
