Meet the Trash Species of Aotearoa New Zealand

Meet the Trash Species of Aotearoa New Zealand

A fun take on the real threats lurking in our ocean

Almost every Kiwi will recognise the iconic fish poster from takeaway shops across the country, but we’re expecting some double takes with our new version.

In collaboration with creative agency Augusto and renowned New Zealand wildlife artist Erin Forsyth, Trash Species of Aotearoa New Zealand aims to get people thinking about the types of creatures they really want lurking next to them when they take a dip in the ocean.

The poster reveals 21 ‘trash species’ through watercolour illustrations, such as the Quarter Flounder and the Snapperloc Bag, calling out some of the most common litter found on our coastlines. The species are informed by real data collected from our coastlines as part of Litter Intelligence, our national litter monitoring programme.

The Trash Species poster on display at The Seafood Collective in Mount Eden.

Sustainable Coastlines’ communications manager, Helen Adams-Blackburn, notes how lucky we are to be surrounded by a diverse and beautiful coastline in New Zealand, saying, “It’s a big part of our culture, and protecting our amazing marine species is important to a lot of us. This campaign helps to highlight the threat of totally unwanted ‘species’ that find their way to our ocean through littering, open bins, and down stormwater drains. It draws the connection between items we might use on a daily basis and the beaches and wildlife we hope to protect.”

“The message is pretty simple: catch your trash before it fills our oceans, whether that’s changing buying habits or making sure something is disposed of properly,” she says.

Two of our antihero species.

The individual species, and tips on how to stop them, will be profiled on our social media accounts throughout October. We encourage people to submit their own trash species discoveries with the hashtag #Catchoftheday — even better if you have a fish pun in mind.

Adam Thompson, executive creative director at Augusto, says, “I think most of us have heard about, and seen, the litter problem in this country, but it wasn’t until we saw the very humbling data that we realised how preventable things were. By showing the visible impact through a much loved piece of Kiwiana, we will hopefully motivate people to change how they treat their trash.”

The original artworks will be on display from 7 October at Sustainable Coastlines’ education and events space, before being auctioned off to raise funds. Thanks to Benefitz for support with printing, fans of the soon-to-be iconic poster will also be able to get their hands on one, with details announced soon.

• Follow the campaign and share your own trash species on Instagram and Facebook by following @sustainablecoastlines

• See the exhibition at The Flagship, at 55 Madden Street,Wynyard Quarter, 10am–4pm weekdays.

• Explore the data that informs the campaign at insights.litterintelligence.org