Girl Scouts Troop 33521 built a piece of art from trash they collected at Piedmont Middle School and their homes. The troop wanted to reuse trash to show reasons to salvage trash, to save money on materials, and to reduce littering.
They came up with the idea to collect trash on the grounds of Piedmont Middle School, where they attend school, to show how much littering occurs. They observed students leaving food wrappers behind or not picking up their trash when it falls on the ground. The scouts wondered if some of the reasons for littering are because trash bins are not accessible nearby; and/or awareness of littering is not brought to people’s attention.
After spending days collecting trash left on the ground and seating areas, the troop decided to use the trash for art before taking it to the trash bins. They collected additional trash at their homes to complete the artwork.
One of the construction challenges they encountered was getting the trash, including plastic containers, plastic food bags, and aluminum cans, to adhere to a large plastic trash bag used for the head with bendable wires, Gorilla Glue, and tape. In the end, the scouts prevailed and “A Work of Trash” emerged as art.
Troop 33521 hopes to inspire others to create art using trash for a summer project. For inspiration, search “how to prevent littering with art” or “trash art” for amazing creations.