Plymouth seahorse sculpture made of littered vapes to be dismantled and recycled
"The Ballad of Lost Mary" has been showcased across the city since June.
A seahorse sculpture made entirely of discarded vapes, which has been showcased around Plymouth since June, is being dismantled and recycled.
"The Ballad of Lost Mary" - a play on the name of one of the most popular disposable vape grands Lost Mary - is on the final stop of its city-wide tour, at the Plymouth station.
The Group Clean Our Patch built the artwork with over 4,000 littered vapes they collected throughout 2023.
Clean Our Patch is using a £15,000 grant from Great Western Railway's Customer and Community Improvement Fund to clean up and educate communities across Plymouth.
Group founders, Ash Samuels and El Clarke, said: “The sculpture was symbolic of not only the blight of these vapes but also the blight of single use items within society.
"The hand rising up from the pile of vapes represents the constant struggle to rise above consumerism and protect nature and in turn the planet.
"If we all work together change is possible and we can make significant change to the world around us.”
The Ballad of Lost Mary sculptor, Andrew Stevens-Lock, said: “For me the seahorse represented the ultimate survivor in its natural environment.
"It’s sad for me that its biggest threat comes from us, because of our complete disregard for any life other than our own.
“While I portrayed the image of a seahorse being held aloft, out of harm’s way, our toxic, environmental impacts are unstoppable.
"The sculpture represented a token gesture of our concerns for our actions. We have to try harder to make a positive impact.”