Whale installation made up of 40,000 plastic bottles and weighing 12 tonnes goes up in China

In another bid to raise awareness about plastic pollution, another whale installation has gone up in Rizhao, China

In an effort to showcase the devastating effects of plastic, an art installation has been placed at Rizhao National Ocean Park in Rizhao, China.

The 9.1-metre-long whale is made up of 40,000 plastic bottles and weighs 12 tonnes. Much like the other whale installation that recently went up in Belgium, this one was also designed to bring attention to the ocean pollution problem plaguing much of the world.

In the last few years, there has been a focus on reducing plastic wastage especially because so much of it end up in the waters. Estimates vary, but it's believed by scientists that plastics will not degrade for up to 1,000 years.

"Plastic has been found in all corners of our oceans, from the Antarctic to the Arctic and at the deepest point of the ocean, the Mariana Trench," says Greenpeace's Frida Bengtsson.

“We need action at source, to stop these pollutants ending up in the Antarctic in the first place, and we need an Antarctic Ocean sanctuary to give space for penguins, whales and the entire eco-system to recover from the pressures they’re facing.”

Rizhao is located near the coastline along the Yellow Sea. The city, known for its sustainability, was recognised by the United Nations as "one of the most habitable cities in the world" in 2009.

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Read more:

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Plastic pollution: we’ve poisoned the sea, now it’s coming for us

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