Leave only Footprints
August 2019 Updates
1st - Sculptures are completed at all locations and on display for visitors and beach goers not only to be encouraged by the messages but also to enjoy the art installation. It is great to see families and visitors to the beaches already stopping, taking note and resting on the seat in the big food packaging box to enjoy their lunches (hopefully out of environmental friendly packing)! The sculptures will be on the beaches until the end of August.
Top left: Gwen Hawkins, Litter Free Coast & Sea Co-ordinator & artist, Jack Raisey, Bournemouth Beach
Top right: Lyme Regis Beach
Above: Jack & team, Weymouth Beach
Left: Visitors enjoying the installation at West Bay
July 2019 Updates
31st - Better weather today for the installation at Bournemouth Beach in the morning with West Bay planned to be completed by the end of the day!
30th - Jack and his team braved the wind and rain and installed the first 'leave only footprints' sculpture on Weymouth Beach this morning. Lyme Regis installation also finished later on in the day (again in the rain).
The 'leave only footprints' art installations are speedily coming into fruition and will be displayed on Dorset beaches the week commencing 29th July for the duration of the summer holidays.
The installations designed and produced by Jack Raisey, will be giant size sculptures (2.5m tall and 5m long) of takeaway food and drink packaging displaying key facts and choices we can all make to reduce the amount of single-use plastic and the impact of plastic waste on our beautiful Dorset beaches.
Looking at the sculptures from behind they will have a fossilised stone appearance that will create a striking silhouette against the beachscape. On closer inspection the brightly coloured facts and choices will be seen from the sea facing side, to encourage people on the beach to stop and consider more environmentally friendly options when buying takeaway food and drink.
The installation of these sculptures will be happening between the 29th July and 31st July.
Keep a look out at Bournemouth, Weymouth, West Bay and Lyme Regis beaches to see the ‘leave only footprints’ artwork this summer!
June 2019
Architectural designer, Jack Raisey has been appointed to design and produce installations to be displayed at four coastal locations over this summer's holiday season. Jack's design aims to inspire positive behaviour change to not only reduce the amount of takeaway food and drink litter but also to encourage people to buy their food and drink from those businesses who provide more eco-friendly, recyclable or re-usable packaging.
Project Background
The Art of Litter Free Food & Drink project, now called 'Leave only Footprints' will inspire positive behaviour change within four specific coastal communities, to reduce the amount of 'left behind' food and drink litter and to stop littering the beautiful Dorset coastline and sea.
The project will commission an artist to work closely with the project team to create inspiration for locals and visitors enjoying the beaches and seafronts. The aim of this project is to engage people to become more aware of the damage littering causes and ultimately, help change public behaviour, so that food and drink related litter, such as, takeaway food and drinks packaging, disposable BBQ trays, plastic, broken glass, are not left behind on Dorset beaches and seafronts. The four Dorset locations the project will concentrate are Bournemouth, Weymouth, West Bay and Lyme Regis.
The Project Team
Litter Free Coast and Sea is a Dorset coast project within the Dorset Coast Forum (DCF). It aims to reduce marine and beach litter, and improve and maintain bathing water quality along the Dorset coast (from Christchurch to Lyme Regis). These areas have some of the cleanest beaches and best bathing water quality in the country. Litter Free Coast and Sea would like to help keep it that way and make the beaches even better.
Dorset Food and Drink (Area of Outstanding Beauty) is Dorset’s premier organisation that helps the county’s food and drink producers, suppliers and sellers increase their business and their reputation. The role of Dorset Food & Drink is to share knowledge and work with local food outlets to increase awareness and help the local food and drink businesses become more sustainable in their approach to food packaging.
This project is part of the wider ‘Dorset Coastal Connections’ portfolio of 18 projects funded by the
Coastal Community Fund and coordinated by the Dorset Coast Forum who are working in partnership with The Arts Development Company, Litter Free Coast & Sea and Dorset Food and Drink to deliver this project.
What has happened so far?
‘Plastics Surgeries’ were held at 3 locations in Dorset during February 2018. Local food and drink businesses were invited to find out more about eco-friendly takeaway food and drink packaging and explore alternative packaging options available. Thank you to all the local food and drink businesses and packaging suppliers who attended these events which were held at West Bay, Boscombe and Weymouth.
As well as talking to different eco-friendly packaging, businesses heard inspirational ideas from other businesses who have already made the switch to reduce single use plastic. The 'Plastics Surgeries' also discussed the idea of a Dorset co-operative buying facility to reduce costs by bulk buying together. For more information on the outcome of the Plastics Surgeries and what you can do to change to more eco-friendly packaging, please visit Litter Free Coast & Sea Plastic Surgeries.
