Man upcycles ocean pollution into beautiful sculptures

An artist in Thailand is turning trash into treasure after being laid off.

Yuttana Darakai was a hotel porter who lost his job during the pandemic when tourism shut down. To earn a living in the meantime, he’s upcycling rubbish from the ocean and turning it into art. Like so many people around the world, Darakai was left penniless after being laid off and had to get resourceful. 

“I collected waste that was found on beaches near my house,” Darakai told Newsflare. “I started to make sculptures sell them, and gain living expenses from them during these hard times until I can find a new job.”

A video shows Darakai as he scavenges for objects to incorporate into his art pieces. He collects things like plastic, driftwood, glass and rope. Darakai adheres hundreds of tiny pieces together to make huge dolphin sculptures. 

The animal sculptures are some of his bestsellers and include whales, sharks, turtles and crabs. He typically sells his art at restaurants, shops and markets, charging between $49 and $273. 

Fortunately, Thailand is handling Covid-19 expertly with no local transmissions in about three months. However, it could definitely use some help in dealing with its rubbish crisis. The country generates over 2.2 million tons of plastic waste yearly, the sixth worse offender in the world. 

Darakai’s efforts are a small step toward repurposing the environmentally unfriendly material. 

If you enjoyed this article, check out this actor who turned a jockstrap into a no-sew face mask.

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