Aryaa GavaiCarmen Hasleup or better known by her Instagram username Tideline Trash and Treasures is an artivist from Sussex, UK who is on her drive to make this world pristine again.
“Beach cleaner & Plastic alchemist” as she describes herself, her goal is to not only just clean the beaches but also recycle and upcycle the washed up trash found there. In her blog “Tideline Trash and Treasures” she talks about how this started as a response to the amount of litter left on the beaches when the first lockdown was lifted in the UK.
While being passionate to protect our seas and marine wildlife from plastic pollution, she is also an artivist who makes 3D realistic pictures of the animals and wildlife that are impacted by the trash she collects. “I love to experiment with different ways of using the trash I collect, making fishing rope baskets, beach plastic jewellery and beach trash art. Bottle tops are a constant find on our beaches and as they aren’t easily recycled, I am exploring new ways to upcycle them into something worth treasuring” writes Carmen in her blog.
Using social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Etsy to sell her art made from the trash, she also encourages people to do something in the face of climate change. “The Coastal Creatives” an art exhibition held by the Colonnade house featured Carmen and two other local artists in their exhibition.
She also arranges workshops, where she talks about climate change and raises awareness. Talking about teaching kids and adults about sustainability and pollution she writes “It is important to me to raise awareness of the plastic pollution problem and inspire others to make a difference in their own way. I absolutely love chatting to children and young people about what I do and they inspire me to keep cleaning and creating.” Her blog features all her activities and timelines of all the workshop she’s taken along with the reviews. It also mentions her method of usage and the products that she use to create art and how sustainability is the way of future.
