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What is the Mighty Wave?

The Citizens for Salem Beverly Water Resources set out to show the Salem community that plastic water bottles accumulate quickly and to promote a "Take Back the Tap" alternative-- the CSBWR Water Canteen Borrow Program.

At the invitation of SalemRecycles and the Salem Beautification Committee, CSBWR and its volunteers created The Mighty Wave, a temporary public art display at the annual "Clean Salem Green Salem" event using nearly 3,000 bottles. About 2,500 of those bottles were collected by 9 people in 5 hours over 2 days on the regular Northside Carting recycling collection route on about 15 streets in Salem. A local school supplied 300 used bottles following an event.

Most of the water bottles in the Mighty Wave were collected on the recycling route. 9 volunteers collected 2,500 bottles in 5 hours over 2 days on 15 Salem streets.

The Water Canteen Table at Clean Salem Green Salem offered potable water, the 2009 Salem/Beverly Water Quality Report, Message in a Bottle Board where people could write their Take Back the Tap and recycling messages, and information for public event planners.

 

 

 

 

 

The Mighty Wave

The Mighty Wave May 7 2011

Jackie O's The Mighty Wave Song

Read the Salem News Story (5th story down, pictured right)

We began this project to show that trash is America's fastest growing resource, and the point was well-taken because seeing is believing. One disposable plastic water bottle in your hand may not seem like the end of the World, but all of the water bottles in all of the communities of the world could be the end of the ocean as we know it. The devastation caused by breakdown of non-biodegradable toxic PET plastic is evident in the ocean garbage patches. The fossil fuels we use to manufacture these bottles each year could fuel 1.5 million cars per year, and of course they have an impact on global warming! For facts on bottled water, please go to FoodandWaterWatch.org. So why spend money on bottled water and risk these problems when Salem/Beverly have excellent tap water and the CSBWR Water Canteen Borrow Program?

CSBWR would like to thank all 30+ volunteers that made this project possible, especially environmental artist Terry Bastian of Waterflowers.org and artist and SalemRecycles committee member Brad Backer that worked for weeks on design and implementation. We'd also like to thank local artist Jackie O for her Mighty Wave Jingle and the Pilot Pen Corporation for sponsoring the event and providing B2P 89% recycled/refillable pens to our volunteers.

"Let's Make a World with Less Plastic Waste--Use a Canteen in it's Place!"