G7: ‘Mount Rushmore’ sculpture of leaders made from waste appears near Cornwall summit
‘We have this looking at them and hopefully we’re going to prick their conscience’
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Your support makes all the difference.A giant Mount Rushmore-style sculpture made out of electronic waste depicting G7 leaders has been erected in Cornwall.
The imposing artwork, placed on the beach opposite the Carbis Bay Hotel where the summit is taking place, has been dubbed “Mount Recyclemore” and aims to highlight the problem with electronics waste.
Artist Joe Rush was commissioned by retailer musicMagpie to create the intriguing model, that will undoubtedly be seen by G7 leaders as they admire the resplendent Cornish coast.
He told the BBC: “We have this looking at them and hopefully we’re going to prick their conscience and make them realise they’re all together in this waste business.
“The key message is ‘talk to each other’ and let’s sort this mess out.”
The sculpture depicts Boris Johnson, president Joe Biden, Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga, French president Emmanuel Macron, Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and German chancellor Angela Merkel.
According to a UN report around 53 million tonnes of e-waste was generated globally in 2019, and is set to more than than double by 2050.
The sculpture itself is made entirely of discarded electronics such as keyboards, computer monitors and circuit boards, as reported by Cornwall Live.
Steve Oliver, founder and CEO, at musicMagpie, said:“E-waste is a growing problem worldwide and its impact on the environment is significant. If sent to landfills, e-waste can leak harmful chemicals into the soil and water or if incinerated, fumes release chemicals into the air, contributing to global warming.
“Not only this, but everything from our phones to our laptops rely heavily on precious materials to operate, which are not only limited resources, but also directly impact climate change when being extracted from the earth.
“We need to better educate and empower people to make changes today. People can support a more sustainable, circular economy, by doing something as simple as trading in or recycling their tech, which will extend the life of those devices and their parts.”
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