“They don’t rot, they don’t break down and they float—forever.”

Kenyan fishermen and the World Society for the Protection of Animals are building a giant whale sculpture out of the endless stream of discarded flip flops that get caught up in fishing nets. The partners hope the end product—pieced together with the help of local women who have long been recycling flip flops into local handicrafts to sell back to tourists—will serve as a massive pro-environment, anti-whaling symbol.

For updates and to sign a petition of your solidarity, check out Whale Watch.

Via the power combo of an everydaytrash tipster and the BBC online.

Tags: Flip Flops, Kenya, whaling, zero waste

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 12:20 am and is filed under Artistic Trash, Trash Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to ““They don’t rot, they don’t break down and they float—forever.””

Plastic People « everydaytrash Says:
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 11:09 pm | Reply
[…] I love about this project is that, just like the flip-flop whale in Kenya, it takes something cast aside and turns it into something fun and beautiful for the community to […]
Lisa Says:
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 at 11:13 am | Reply
I am trying to start up a flip flop recycling drive (to benefit kiddos in Haiti).
Anyone out there know of any Texas or U.S. companies
that are purchasing used flip flops in bulk?

Thanks!
REBECCA Says:
Saturday, October 27, 2007 at 6:41 pm | Reply
I don’t know of any companies, but as a horse rider I’ve shown in indoor horse arena in which the footing is made of shredded flip flops and sneakers. One such place is Findlay University in Ohio
Joe Parker Says:
Thursday, January 17, 2008 at 9:51 am | Reply
Well done.You are good people.
K Campbell Says:
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at 5:31 pm | Reply
Hello Lisa,
Doing a web search long after you posted your comment. Are you still working on the flip flop recycling drive in Kenya?
Thanks,
Kathleen
Flipping the flop « everydaytrash Says:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 1:06 pm | Reply
[…] string of plastic foam beads. The moment I saw them, I knew they were made of old flip flops—likely washed up on the shores of Kenya—and, because of this, I grabbed them up. But then I saw they cost roughly $30 U.S. and I […]
Flip flop round up « everydaytrash Says:
Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 7:03 am | Reply
[…] post on upcycled flip flops reminded me of a story I read in 2007 about Kenyan women building a giant whale out of the old slippers that washed up in their fishing villages. I recommend watching the BBC video on the project, […]