Sustainable Coastlines Art - A simple solution to cleaning up our coastline

7 years ago while backpacking in Mexico, I saw a glimpse of what New Zealand could look like if we don't look after our coastline - beautiful sandy beaches overrun by plastic bags and fresh rivers turned brown by the time they reach the sea.

After running 1100km of our West Coast in 5 weeks and I've been shocked by how much trash is accumulating on our shores... We have tonnes plastic bags, shards, beads bottles, lids, fishing line littering our most of our beaches.

From listening to the locals, we've three important problems to resolve:

1 - Changing the way we make/use packaging;

2 - Removing trash that's floating in from sea; and

3 - Persuading casual litterers to care.

I might not be able to change everything, but I can do something.

So with the money raised from this run, I'm proposing 'Sustainable Coastlines Art' for New Zealand.

Sustainable Coastlines (SC) is an award-winning charity that's fun, young, practical and making a massive impact on our environment. They're in a great position to lead some more imaginative ventures.

After chatting with thoughtful locals and the SC crew, one creative solution is 'Sustainable Coastlines Art'.

SC would support local communities with a special canvas/wall that kids and adults that care would colour with the plastic they remove from the beach.

Think of big colour-in wall, that you fill in with plastic rather than paint.

SC would work with local communities around the country to set these up, provide the resources, audit the trash, deal with transport and could even auction the art-work off to create a sustainable business model.

- Want to be a part of a big idea that could provide a template for the rest of the world?

Donate and please vote for the beach you'd like us to launch with.