Get the latest news from Manx.News

Giraffe to raise awareness of ocean pollution

Fri, 15 Feb 2019

A two metre high giraffe made from flip flops will be on display at The Strand Shopping Centre, to raise awareness of ocean pollution.

The colourful giraffe was created by charity Ocean Sole and made from 500 discarded flip flops collected from Kenyan shores.

It is estimated that around 700,000 flip flops are found off the beaches of Kenya every year, with the charity employing over 150 Kenyans to convert the flip flops into fun art to remind everyone that the ocean needs our help.

The giraffe has made its way to the Isle of Man thanks to the support of Standard Bank, who hope that the artwork will raise awareness of local flip-flop and beach pollution, something which is regularly encountered by the charity Beach Buddies.

Beach Buddies have adopted a similar approach this year, with the mission of turning rubbish collected from beaches into a giant piece of art. A large wire basking shark, selected because it lives in local waters, is to be filled with plastic waste found on Isle of Man’s shores and displayed as part of the Island’s first Environment Festival in May. 

---