Paddle boarder Flora Blathwayt has been making greetings cards from plastic waste she’s found on her litter picks by the Thames. Below she tells her story…
I had worked in sustainability for about five or six years. I was actually working at a company that made packaging out of seaweed.
When I was furloughed during the pandemic I found this sort of oasis in London, this was the River Thames.
I’ve lived here for so long. You go over the Thames on a bus, on a taxi, and you never really appreciate it.
It was during that time when I didn’t have much going on, that I looked close to home for things to do.
I started beach cleaning and litter picking, and began making little greeting cards out of some of the plastic, or treasure, as I call it, that I was finding.
I made greeting cards which I sent to people, and on the back of the card it told you the story about where the plastic had come from, and how you can get involved beach cleaning with me.
Beach cleans bring people together and I find it really hopeful and positive, because there is so much doom and gloom in the world.
Doing something about plastic pollution, being proactive about it and doing something that’s on your doorstep, and connecting with people while you’re doing it, is great for the mind and the body.
It’s very meditative looking for the plastic.
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