Auckland, New Zealand – In an attempt to drive the message across the growing issue of plastic pollution across our oceans and seas, the New Zealand arm of non-profit organization World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has released a new campaign alongside creative agency Colenso BBDO to visualize the issue of microplastic pollution.
WWF New Zealand has released new perspective pictures of said issue through underwater photography. At first glance, the resulting images appear to be star systems, but on closer inspection, it’s revealed that the ‘stars’ are actually microplastics suspended in water.
The campaign is released as new studies have suggested that eight million tons of plastic pollution end up in the ocean each year, breaking down into tiny bits to become microplastics. This then ends up in our food systems, where it is estimated that people are ingesting around 5 grams of plastic a week.
“There’s a general awareness of microplastics in the ocean, but what we wanted to do was help people grasp the unbelievable scale of the pollution. It’s only when Kiwis really see the size of the damage being done that we’re motivated to act,” said Simon Vicars, executive creative director at Colenso BBDO.
Meanwhile, Livia Esterhazy, CEO at WWF New Zealand commented, “These images are hauntingly beautiful, and yet, it is when we look up close we discover the horror we have created. From the Mariana Trench to Mount Everest, there is not a single place on Earth untouched by plastic pollution.
She added, “Most of this plastic was designed to be used only once, but will remain for generations. We hope, by seeing the sheer scale of the problem, people will be inspired to take action and help us ‘Stop Plastic Pollution’.”
WWF New Zealand’s nationwide ‘Stop Plastic Pollution’ campaign is asking New Zealanders to help call on their government to introduce a global, legally binding, agreement to stop plastics polluting their oceans.
