As designers, we at MSLK feel compelled to challenge ourselves to raise awareness on the environmental issues facing society. Not only does it put our talents to good use but it also encourages our clients to think about green alternatives. With this in mind, back in 2007 we conceptualized a plan to create a project that would enlighten the public about the severe environmental impacts caused by society’s mindless over consumption of plastic. We began by looking at things we use every day and ultimately toss. Quickly, the lowly plastic bag became an easy target.

Every second, 2,663 plastic bags are consumed in the United States. Although these bags are free, their cost to the environment is alarming. In cities, loose plastic bags are often referred to as “urban tumbleweeds” and can be found caught in trees and littering street corners. Worse yet, plastic bags are polluting our oceans, killing our sea life, and increasing our dependency on oil. MSLK sought to exploit these outrageous facts and create an eco-art installation that would make the public reflect on their consumer behavior.

The first step in this process was to engage our community. Collection boxes requesting people donate their used plastic bags for art were placed in public locations such as grocery stores. We also reached out online using social media and community forums. The response was overwhelming. It seems everyone was dying to get rid of the copious collections of plastic bags gathering under their kitchen sinks. The grocery stores we partnered with found it so effective they immediately installed permanent collection boxes for bags and our friends who collected in their offices found that everyone wanted to talk about the issue. Many pledged to each other to start using reusable totes. 

In order to visually translate the statistic of 2,663 bags consumed per second, MSLK constructed a chain made out of 2,663 bags spanning half a mile in length. The bags we collated by type and arranged in a fun and meaningful pattern. It began with “I Love NY,” ended with “Thank You for Shopping with Us” and had a giant section in the middle that alternated between “Duane Reade” and “Rite Aid,” New York City’s two largest drug stores.  

The flexible format of the linked chain allowed the installation to be effective in various environments—entangled in the trees of urban parks as well as stretching across vast desert landscapes. Furthermore, throughout the installation, we integrated 22 informational signs featuring facts on how to change and improve the environmental crisis.

Dubbed “Urban Tumbleweeds,” the final installation debuted at the 2008 Burning Man Festival and has continued to virally raise awareness on the dangers of plastic bag consumption. The project has been covered by Current TV and NY1 and has been featured on Discovery Channel Canada, Inhabitat, GD USA, and Step Inside Design.

In addtion, our work creating this and our subsequent eco-art installations has become widely recognized as an innovative form of marketing. Somewhere between a new form of street art and guerilla marketing, it’s been dubbed an “Urban Intervention.”

Ironically, a person who claimed they thought it was “trash” ultimately destroyed the project.  This video on Current TV is the best documentation we have.