Hello! I'm Hope Scalici.
Having grown up in the age of social media, I constantly feel as though I am being ‘influenced.’ I am always faced with the needless problem of having the ‘next best thing’ just like everyone else. I am experiencing climate change in real time. We now have landfills so large on our Earth that they can be seen from space. This was the inspiration for Wastenot.
Wastenot uses artwork created from upcycled trash to visualize the problem of overconsumption facing our society. Visualizing this issue using art gives us the ability to provoke emotional responses and create connection beyond all social and interpersonal boundaries. By using the communicative power of art, we can close the gap between awareness and action.
All pieces are mixed media on bristol, 11"x14".
7 Times
Enough plastic bags are used annually to circle the Earth seven times.
450 Years
Plastic takes on average 450 years to decompose.
9%
Only 9% of plastic is recycled globally.
15 Billion Trees
15 billion trees are cut down each year.
More Plastic than Fish
By 2050, plastic in the ocean may outweigh fish.
2.1 Billion Tons
2.1 billion tons of waste is generated globally per year.
For almost as long as humans have walked the Earth, they have created art. From cave paintings to hieroglyphics, art has been integral to the innate human desire to connect and communicate. Before we had language, we had visual art and communication. Art is of an unfathomable importance and a key portion to our understanding of not only the human race, but of each other at the individual level.
Art has a long history of addressing social issues and acting as an effective tool for communication and advocacy, and has long been used as a mode of expression to address social issues and inspire positive change, as evidenced by political cartoons, protest art, and movements such as Social Realism.
Waste reduction and management is not a new problem in the collective social awareness. Finding viable incentives and motivations, however, for individuals and corporations alike, has been where almost every effort attempting to address the issue has fallen short.
In modern society, the issue of consumer behavior and environmental sustainability has become widely recognized as a topic of concern. As Wastenot attempts to tackle this issue through art, understanding the consumers themselves is crucial to the effectiveness of each approach.
Recognizing the motivations, behaviors, and realistic margins of change for a diverse range of views and lifestyles is essential to remaining empathetic towards unique individual experiences and attitudes. Through a survey conducted across a wide range of demographics, two main personas emerged. They illuminate how two major segments perceive their role in their environmental impact as well as the barriers they face.
By using these personas, a clearer understanding emerges on how to motivate engagement in meaningful conservation actions and raising awareness.
The Dreamer
The Dreamer is aware of the consumption issues created by our capitalistic society. She feels overwhlemed by the questionable future of her planet, and feels like not all of her peers recognize the gravity of the situation. She feels frustrated by the solutions currently available to her to become more sustainable. As a working college student, she is always on the go, making her transition into adulthood and figuring it out along the way.
“Trash and over-consumption is a big issue. As a consumer, I think it is important to limit trash and everyone should do their part, however I believe it is larger corporations that have the largest negative impact, more so than everyday consumers.”
The Guardian
The Guardian is a busy woman. She has a full time career and is a mother to 2 children. Constantly driving them around to different activities and staying on top of everyones responsibilities, sustainability isn’t a top concern of hers. She feels like being more aware of her carbon footprint doesn’t fit into her busy schedule, although she does worry about the future of the planet. She uses social media to keep up with friends but isn’t as tech-savy as her kids are.
“I try to teach my kids healthy habits to protect their future, but it’s hard to get them to understand or care. I worry about how easily influenced they are. It’s expensive to get my family to be more enviornmentally conscious, and it doesn’t always fit into our lifestyle.”
Life imitates art. It is the only form of communication that humans do not rely on words or language to understand each other through, and most definitely is capable to inspire the world around us as it has proven so time and time again. People don’t listen to statistics, they listen to what they resonate with. Art brings people of the same emotion together.
- Survey response
The insights found through my survey can be summed up overall with the following statistics. Clearly, we can see that there is a disconnect between awareness and action.
After many different experiments with type and logograms, the brand identity of Wastenot emerged. The wavey, natural feel of the logo is meant to reflect the fluidity of nature, making sure to keep the image of Earth as a focal point. The color palette was curated to feel both earthy and vibrant, reflecting the gravity of the issue with a hopeful vision for sustainable change.
Evidence from both anthropological and sociological schools of thought shows that successfully addressing complex issues such as waste management necessitates a cultural shift and a collective social awareness, and the normalization of excessive consumption behaviors emphasizes the need for novel approaches to raise awareness and inspire action.
Guerrilla marketing strategies such as advertising on recycling receptacles and Earth-conscious products such as reusable water bottles and recycled paper sketchbooks are inline with the brand’s core message.
The entire goal of Wastenot is to tackle overconsumption, so we must be careful not to create unnecessary waste and add to the problem.
The main goal in advertising this brand is to create awareness and spread information about how serious of an issue overconsumption is. This information applies to everyone on Earth, as we are all part of the problem. Using an image forward platform such as Instagram will be crucial in really pushing the visualization of this message. Infographics, reels, and carousels are the most effective way to show people what they cannot ignore. Additionally, it will be more impactful as a refreshing break in the typical Instagram content.