A new exhibition in Times Square is now open. Called “The Plastic Bag Store,” the installation is a public art and “immersive film” by artist Robin Frohardt. It’s meant as a commentary on consumption and convenience, specifically single-use plastics.

The free exhibition shows shelves stocked with handmade items all created from discarded types of single-use plastics. Located at 20 Times Square, the exhibition is also a film that includes puppetry, shadow play and handmade sets designed to describe plastic waste and how it might be perceived by future generations.

Artist Robin Frohardt described the experience, “The Plastic Bag Store is a visually rich, tactile, and humorous experience that hopefully encourages a different way of thinking about the foreverness of plastic, the permanence of the disposable, and that there is no ‘away’ when we throw something out. It is my attempt to make something authentic and human from that which is mass-produced. There is great humor to be found in the pitfalls of capitalism, and I find that humor and satire can be powerful tools for social criticism especially with issues that feel too sad and overwhelming to confront directly.”

Source: Times Square NYC/Youtube

Frohardt described to CBS News the abundance of plastic waste that was the inspiration for the installation, “Most of this single-use plastic is designed for its convenience. And so, you use it for only seconds, and then you throw it away. So it’s out of sight out of mind. But because it doesn’t decompose, it doesn’t really go anywhere. It’s still here, it’s still somewhere. So that little red stir stick you stirred creamer into your coffee in a bank in 1995 is possibly floating out in the ocean somewhere.”

“The Plastic Bag Store” is open from October 22 to November 7.

Read more about microplastics and plastic affecting marine life in One Green Planet, including sea turtles eating plastic, microplastics found in human tissue, and plastic found in Indonesia at high levels.

Sign this petition to Ban Single-Use Plastic; Microplastics Have Now Been Found in Antarctica!

There are products you may be using or habits you may have that contribute to plastic Pollution. Learn more about how the use of Teabags, Cotton Swabs, Laundry, Contact Lenses, Glitter, and Sheet Masks pollute our oceans so you can make more informed decisions going forward. There are also numerous simple actions and switches that can help cut plastic out of our lives including, making your own cosmetics, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, household cleaners, using mason jars, reusable bags/bottles/straws, and avoiding microbeads!

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