Plastic sea creatures 'swim' through Chile suburb to highlight ocean pollution

Sea creatures made from recycled plastic "swam" through the streets of Chile's Maipú on Tuesday (January 13) night to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the oceans.

The parade featured model whales, sharks and schools of fish moving through spectators who had been drawn outside on a warm summer evening.

A plastic model island carried a sign stating that there "will be more plastic than fish in the ocean" by 2040 - an explicit message to highlight the environmental ideas behind the artistic display.

Parade director Juan Ibanez said the concept involved using recycled plastic to create the sea creatures as a metaphor for ocean pollution.

Spectators filmed the parade with mobile phones as the recycled plastic sea creatures moved through the Santiago Metropolitan Region suburb.

Many praised the educational value of the event, particularly for children participating in the awareness campaign.

Chile passed a single-use plastics law in 2021, with new restrictions on items like cutlery, straws and Styrofoam products set to take effect in February for food-service establishments.

According to a 2016 World Economic Forum report, oceans are expected to contain more plastics than fish by weight by 2050 at current rates.

-Rodrigo Gutierrez, Anna Portella/Reuters