Plastic Free Beach Toronto thanks to Dora Attard
Be open and let the world inspire you. Dora Attard inspired us when we met her at Woodbine Beach. Please find out more about her work below.
Since there is not much left of Plastic-Free July, which we prefer to call Plastic-Free Every Day, this is high time to introduce you to a wonderful woman, Dora Attard. Have you ever met a complete stranger in your city whose work inspires you? We did, on a warmish early September day in 2020, our last beach day of the year. It was Sunday, which is why we were able to meet her in the first place.
Who is Dora Attard?
She is a Toronto resident and a garbage collector. And Dora Attard is also the founder of Plastic Free Beach Toronto. Plastic Free Beach Toronto is an organization that educates people on the amount of single-use plastic that is used and thrown away daily and encourages people to create a cleaner world for future generations.
The way we got to know Dora was so random. As we were leaving our beach day and sending our friends closer to their bus stop, we noticed her giant globe made of trash. It is made from the garbage collected on Woodbine Beach this past summer. In the artwork, water bottles make up the world’s oceans while plastics of different colours make up the continents. We approached her to find out more, and we ended up having a refreshing conversation with her and her friend.
We found out that they have been doing this activity for quite some time. Presenting the beautiful artwork, which she had to install and dismantle every day, wasn’t all she did. Dora is a passionate fighter against plastic. She is bringing awareness to the problem of plastic use, promotes a plastic-free lifestyle, suggests skipping single-use plastic, etc. Plus she organizes garbage pick-up at Woodbine Beach. Since it was the end of the day, we couldn’t participate in this activity, but had a nice chat with Dora.
Why plastic is so bad near water?
Plastic is a substance that companies create to make easy money. It may be convenient, but is it worth the huge price that our planet and its inhabitants have to pay? Plastic will outlive us, and that in of itself should shock us. It should be a universal law that species do not leave Earth worse than they found it, that we do not destroy the planet for future generations.
In Canada, just 9% of the plastics collected will be recycled. This number is so ridiculously small. This long-lasting, poisonous material will be here for a long time. Plastic poses the most risk to the waterways. How will the beaches, lakes, rivers, streams, and ponds on Earth look in 5 years’ time? 10 years? 20 years? This is why it is important to deal with plastic now; today. This is crucial so that we avoid problems associated with each time frame in our home country.
We love Dora’s work, that she saw the problem and she took matters into her own hands. What a great way to make a change in your community! She said that the pieces of garbage most commonly found on the beach are cigarette butts, lids and bottle caps, water bottles, and plastic straws. She also finds needles, which humans and animals may step on or they may be found by children. The above-mentioned quite large plastic pieces are not the main problem. “The majority of the little bits I find are washed up from lake that has been broken down in microplastics. They’re eaten by birds and fish, and if you’re not a vegetarian and you eat the fish, then the plastic ends up inside of your body.” Dora stated.
What you can do to support Plastic Free Beach Toronto?
Participate at the Beach Clean-Up Day! It takes place on Sundays from 8-10 AM on Woodbine Beach up until the beginning of Fall. Always be sure to check Dora’s Instagram account for up-to-date information. Please share her handle with your friends and urge them to join you to the clean-up-day, to help keep our beaches clean and beautiful. Dora and her team will provide reusable gloves, buckets/bags, and pickers. The meeting place is out front of the Olympic Swimming Pool.
We are really interested in participating, but since Sunday is the only real relaxing day – read: sleep-in-day – then, unfortunately, yes, this Is the situation. BUT if a miracle will happen and I find myself wide awake at 7 AM, then Dora be sure, I will be there!
More about Dora Attard
Watch a short clip about Dora Attard and her work at CBC.com and read more on the same page.
Watch a video of Dora explaining what is it exactly she is doing in this video.
Visit Dora’s Instagram account Plastic Free Beach Toronto.
Support her work and buy her plastic artwork from Etsy.
