Australian supermarket Woolworths recently did a Disney promotion by giving away free "Ooshies." These little toys are terrible for the environment and will probably end up in landfills, in oceans, and in rubbish tips for centuries to come.
So, we set up an environmental activist group called Future Landfill and photoshopped these tiny plastic toys into famous scenes from the films they starred in.
So Toy Story became Destroy Story. Finding Nemo became Choking Nemo. Lady and the Tramp became Landfill and the Trash. And Frozen became F***ed. Because that's what this promotion is.We did them to get people to sign a petition to lobby Aussie supermarkets to stop making these short-sighted plastic promotions and for them to provide recycling for them for as long as it will take these Ooshies to break down—which could be hundreds of years! Already, almost 15,000 Aussies have signed it.
The images were conceived by Tom Whitty and me, Alex Wadelton, shot by advertising photographer Ryan Creevey, put together by Photoshop wiz Jason Riddell, with the logo re-designs by Ed Bechervaise, and the website futurelandfill.org by Tyler Mathes.
These Ooshies will live in landfill to infinity and beyond
Finding an environmentally-friendly promotion? Keep searching
There's nothing romantic about a love affair with economic gain at the expense of environmental pain
Ice is melting and oceans are rising. And we're filling those rising oceans with microplastic as litter from landfill and our waterways slowly break down
The natural habitat for these Lion King figures is landfill
We're not recommending people boycott Coles and Woolies, but we recommend they refuse the ‘free’ Ooshies at the checkout.
Still not convinced? Listen to Mufasa
Mufasa: Look, Simba, everything the light touches is our kingdom.
Simba: Wow... Mufasa: A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day, Simba, the sun will set on my time here and rise with you as the new king.
Simba: And this'll all be mine?
Mufasa: Everything.
Simba: Everything the light touches... What about that shadowy place?
Mufasa: That's beyond our borders. It would be best if you never went there, Simba.
Simba: But I thought a king could do whatever he wants?
Mufasa: Well, there's more to being king than getting your way all the time.
Simba: There's more?
Mufasa: (chuckling) Simba... (Mufasa and Simba walk through plains)
Mufasa: Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.
The plastic that doesn’t end up in Australia's litter stream will spend most of their time on this planet buried in the earth, breaking down over hundreds of years alongside other waste we have no use for.
With a total disregard for our ecosystems' delicate balance, supermarkets are manufacturing millions of cheap plastic toys in a bid to get you to spend more of your money in their stores.
This is a fad and will be replaced by another in months. However, the impact of this fad will go on for centuries, long after you, your kids, and their kids have completed their own circles of life.
If you, like us, think it’s time for supermarkets to stop running reckless promotions that encourage the mass production of tiny plastic toys with a short term mindset, then go to www.futurelandfill.org in our profile description, where you can easily share the images on your socials with the hashtag #futurelandfill and sign the petition calling on Australia's supermarkets to stop this madness.
With a total disregard for our ecosystems' delicate balance, supermarkets are manufacturing millions of cheap plastic toys in a bid to get you to spend more of your money in their stores.
This is a fad and will be replaced by another in months. However, the impact of this fad will go on for centuries, long after you, your kids, and their kids have completed their own circles of life.
If you, like us, think it’s time for supermarkets to stop running reckless promotions that encourage the mass production of tiny plastic toys with a short term mindset, then go to www.futurelandfill.org in our profile description, where you can easily share the images on your socials with the hashtag #futurelandfill and sign the petition calling on Australia's supermarkets to stop this madness.
The circle of plastic life
