Big Ben sculpture kicks off Recycle Week
June 5, 2008 at 3:20 pm
The launch on Monday 2nd June of the fifth annual ‘Recycle Week’ has seen a number of interesting sculptures appear across the country to highlight the event and to raise awareness about recycling.
Onlookers were thrilled in London’s South Bank when a 6 metre high model of Big Ben made entirely of empty Coke cans was revealed to the public. The sculpture was the work of master sculptor Robert Bradford, who had been commissioned by Coca-Cola to make the model.
Recycle Week has been launched by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Program), a non-profit company whose aim is to help people reduce their waste, in its bid to raise awareness of recycling in the UK and to inspire more people to take an active role in recycling both at home and at work.
But the Big Ben model was not the only sculpture to mark the event, as a model of the Angel of the North, made by Sam McGeever and constructed from 10,000 mini coke cans, was also revealed to the public. Other constructions to have appeared across the country include one of the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol and one of the Birmingham Bull statue.
London Mayor, Boris Johnson, said that it was a “fantastic initiative” and would do a “huge amount to encourage us all to recycle more”.
However, the models have been criticised by some as a PR stunt on the part of Coca-Cola, arguing that they will almost certainly have no effect on recycling whatsoever. But whatever the argument, the sculptures are certainly pretty impressive and will at least help to create publicity for a worthy event.
Leave a Reply