It’s 5m-long by 2m-high, made of wire and it’s out to eat all the plastic it is fed – A fish named Faithful has been installed at Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, to highlight the impact of plastic waste on marine life.
Commissioned by online eco lifestyle and health retailer Faithful to Nature, as one of the organisation’s Plastic Free July initiatives, Faithful was designed and created by “Our Workshop”, a Langa-based non-profit organisation headed by internationally acclaimed designer Heath Nash.
Created from repurposed materials, the unique sculpture is interactive in that the public is invited to throw plastic waste into the fish’s mouth, filling its belly while highlighting how much of our plastic waste ends up in the bellies of marine life.
“Every year up to 12 million metric tons of plastic lands up in our oceans,” says Faithful to Nature’s CEO Katrien Grobler. “Participating in feeding Faithful plastic is a tangible, fun tool to educate and drive awareness around plastic’s negative effect on ocean life. Public participation means each person can be instrumental in raising awareness and inspiring others into action.”
Taking the lead on creating A Fish Named Faithful was Our Workshop’s Project Manager Richard Mandongwe. He says, “Making a fish as huge as Faithful is always a challenge but I enjoyed it, especially knowing that I was doing it for a good cause. People do not pay attention to plastic’s impact on our environment but I hope through Faithful we are able to shed some light on where most plastic waste ends up and how to preserve nature.”
Pioneering ethical retail across South Africa, Faithful to Nature is committed to providing access to products that respect nature, and endeavours to stock products with the least amount of plastic.
“Retailers have a big role to play in reducing plastic packaging waste,” says Grobler. “Going plastic-free is asking for a complete paradigm shift but it is our duty to make the process easier for shoppers and inspire more careful shopping and packaging decisions.”
For more information about #AFishNamedFaithful and for details about Faithful to Nature’s beach clean-ups in collaboration with The Beach Co-Op, visit Faithfultonature.co.za or find them on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
So come and feed the fish if you’re in Cape Town and support a plastic-free lifestyle. See you there!
Ecotraveller.co.za 
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