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A local plastic-free advocate has used the discovery of piece of Lego – which survived more than two decades in strong ocean currents before emerging at Ouaisné Bay – to highlight the long-term persistence of plastic in our environment.
Sheena Brockie, founder of Plastic Free Jersey, found the Lego scuba tank while beachcombing on Ouaisné Bay this weekend.
The discovery is linked to a maritime incident in 1997 off Cornwall's coast, when the cargo ship Tokio Express lost 62 shipping containers overboard.
Pictured: Sheena discovered the Lego scuba tank from 1997 the Lego scuba tank while beachcombing on Ouaisné Bay this weekend.
One of these containers held almost five million Lego pieces, many featuring sea-themed designs.
Consequently, Lego items like octopuses, dragons, flippers, and flowers have been washing up on the shores of the Channel Islands and southwest England for the past 25 years highlighting the long-term impact of plastic pollution.
However, Sheena also explained that such "fascinating" discoveries are "great educational tools" as their uniqueness effectively engages people in beach cleanups and the broader mission to combat plastic pollution.
Pictured: Sheena's 'treasure trove' of plastic artefacts discovered while cleaning up Jersey's beaches.
During her cleanup efforts, Sheena has come across a variety of items including bio beads (utilised in water treatment plants), vintage Smarties lids which ceased production in 1990, cigarillo filters, shotgun cartridges, bottle caps, raw plugs, tile spacers, golf tees, plastic toys, fishing rope, and more.
One of the most alarming findings has been the prevalence of thousands of plastic 'nurdles' – small plastic pellets used in plastic production.
Pictured: Nurdles and fishing weights discovered by Sheena on Jersey's beaches.
As part of the Plastic Free Jersey campaign, Sheena has collaborated with the Government to introduce ‘Eco-Active Beach Bingo,’ an initiative aimed at promoting beach cleanups and raising awareness about plastic pollution.
Participants are encouraged to engage in beach cleanups while participating in a bingo game that requires them to locate and collect specific plastic waste items commonly found on beaches such as plastic straws, water bottles, cotton buds, plastic bags, bottle caps, plastic toys, lighters, balloons, cutlery, coffee lids, and toothbrushes.
Pictured top: Lego sea-themed items from the 1997 Tokio Express incident found by Sheena while beach-combing at the weekend.
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