Garbage Island + Upcycled Hair Candy

When you get a chance, you should definitely check out this video on Garbage Island. I was absolutely disgusted that in this day and age, pollution of this magnitude is able to fly. Furthermore, I find it quite disheartening that this hasn't been reported more. And honestly, it made me a little more aware of how complacent I have become when it comes to recycling.

For those of you that haven't heard about Garbage Island [as I didn't until recently], it's a buildup of trash in the Pacific Ocean so massive, it's the size of [or bigger than] Texas, CNN has describe this floating island as "Chemical Soup". According to studies, approximately 100k sea mammals die each year as a result of this floating debris. Toothbrushes, syringes, toys, and cigarette lighters have been found in the stomach's of dead animals that feast on the trash, as oftentimes they mistake it for food.

I honestly don't know what the answer is. Should the government regulate the production of plastics? Should we force everyone to recycle? It's definitely a touchy subject for some. However I know we can all start somewhere by doing our part, no matter how small it may seem. Start by recycling, and supporting artisans and businesses that sell upcycled goods!

I found Catherinette, a really fab artisan on Etsy [I love that place], that sells the cutest leather hair candy, cuffs, and belt buckles!

You can also create your own upcycled hair candy using some of the techniques from my previous tutorials [You can attach some flower rosettes made out of recylced clothing to headbands etc]. I made the headbands below using strips of jersey fabric [I braided them together, and used a glue gun to secure each edge].

You can make big thick headbands, or tiny ones. The size is determined by the width of the fabric strips you cut. Take some of those old tee's that you didn't want to throw away and make cute little headbands for you and some friends. My buddy Lo definitely has some coming to her!