We simply cannot beach-clean, recycle and exchange our take-away-food-containers-for fancy-metal-ones our way out of the plastic crisis. We have to eliminate the source of shit before it hits the fan!

The Campaign: Stop It At Source at Indiegogo (ended)

The Marajò-campaign was successful in its impact on the local community.

In the west, we are already so conscious about the plastic problem that we snare like a cat to every plastic bag we see, and feel a great shame every time we have to leave the store with a new one. This story is radically different in the lesser developed parts of the world, where the problem really is.

It easy to forget that millions of people are still living in huts on poles, in the forests and by the rivers, fishing and working the land, with very limited access to the internet and the stream of information we are used to. They do simply not get exposed to the fact that pollution is a worldwide problem, more than what they observe them self. Their fish is full of plastic, the livestock eats it and gets sick, and even if they get exposed to campaigns and information about plastic pollution, it is to a large degree simply too external for them to take in and understand. They might see polluted beaches, the great gyres, whales washed up on some beach and clogged rivers with plastic, but this is outside their world.

Plastic is a fairly new concept in the third world, and in all history, their system of renovation was to discard with all items no longer needed in the rivers and nature. When this was purely based on organic materials, which everything in their practical life consisted of, there was no problem. Now the material has changed from wood, plant fibre, glass, metal and minerals to plastic, but the habits of discernment have not changed.

“Stop it at Source”- aims to address the problem locally, in their language, and with an approach they understand. This might be radically different than how we would do it in the west. It requires an understanding of the local cultures mentality, values, hierarchies and capacity for understanding.

I call out to all sailors, nomads and travelers reaching the outskirts of the world to be the 21. centuries missionaries, bringing the word of plastic pollution.

I aim to design a package of printable flyers and posters easily editable to fit the local environment, aimed at

• The general public
• Fishermen / farmers
• Restaurants and cafes
• Convenience stores and farmers markets
• Schools

This is also meant as a tool for local NGO`s to get a easily accessible tool to distribute information, without extended skills in graphic design, access or knowledge about software and computers.