By Yasmin Giannini

Aged 16 years

Plastic seems to have revolutionised worlds, and since the 1980’s, when uber-glam super models began strutting around with tall bottles of Evian under their arm, it became clear plastic was the vision of the future.  Fast forward 40 years, and things have turned inside out.  Now it’s more just water inside plastic containers, instead, it’s plastic inside water – lots of it, swimming in seas and in the stomachs of wildlife.  Many big companies have made changes to improve plastics usage with the likes of McDonalds switching to paper straws to protect turtles and sea animals from swallowing them, and supermarkets such as Sainsburys moving from plastic fruit bags, to more sustainable fabric; whilst encouraging to reduce plastic carrier bag usage.

To educate more on this plastic pandemic, SC Johnson, the maker of household consumer brands such as Mr Muscle®, Ecover® and Duck®, is launching The Blue Paradox, an immersive educational experience with 360-degree digital projections.  Inviting the public to walk under the deep blue sea, beneath the ocean’s surface, to explore the impact plastic waste has on our planet’s most valuable natural resource; and to better understand how businesses, governments and individuals may work together to create a more sustainable world.

Created in partnership with global NGO Conservation International, The Blue Paradox is open free to the public from 15^th – 27^th September in White City, London, for visitors of all ages. For every visitor to The Blue Paradox, SC Johnson will donate to Conservation International to help protect 1 square kilometre of the ocean – with a minimum commitment to protect 9,000 km², which is roughly six times the size of Greater London.

“Plastic has driven a boom of societal advancements in areas ranging from medical devices to food preservation, yet just 9% of all plastic waste ever produced has been recycled, according to the UN,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “The Blue Paradox is one step of many that SC Johnson is taking to move toward our vision for a waste-free world. This immersive, educational experienceis designed to help shed light on this complex, critical environmental issue and the role business, government and citizens can play to help solve it.”

More than 3.5 billion people depend on the ocean for their primary source of food, and in 20 years, this number could double to 7 billion, “Billions of people rely on our oceans for protein — even more so as coronavirus devastates local economies — and that food source is in jeopardy because of plastic waste,” said M. Sanjayan, CEO of Conservation International. “The Blue Paradox brings the permanence of plastic front-and-center, encouraging visitors to take meaningful action.’

What better way to spend an hour than to dive under the waves and experience the wonder of the deep blue ocean.  If we’re to save our seas from a plastic invasion, we need to arm ourselves with the facts, and start taking action.  

TICKETS AND EVENT INFORMATION

Tickets are required for The Blue Paradox, but they are free of charge. Walk-ins are welcome; however, reservations are encouraged. Visitors can book their free tickets and learn more about the experience at www.blueparadox.com.  

THE BLUE PARADOX

Exhibition London

Ariel Way, London W12 7SL

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