Catherine Fenton and Lawrence Mathias, two WITP artists, have collaborated to create a Christmas tree for a good cause: to raise awareness of the waste produced by plastic water bottles. The tree, on display at Courtyard Cafe in St Albans through the end of the year, reminds us that choosing tap water reduces the amount of plastic introduced into our environment. Catherine wrote the following about the project.

Long old day designing and building a Christmas Tree for Friends of the Earth from recycled water bottles with fellow artist Lawrence Mathias and Friend of the Earth’s Amanda Yorwerth. Amanda wanted something to remind people how many bottles are wasted drinking bottled water — which is often no different from tap water — to be displayed for Sustainable St Albans week.

My initial design was inspired by a campaign called #IChooseTapWater which I saw in Canada, hence the tap instead of a star. The design changed due to receiving fewer bottles than anticipated, but thanks to seeing ideas of other trees made around the world and a lot of determination (thank God for Lawrence and all his junk modelling experience and stamina!) I think in the end the final design was even better than I’d imagined.

Come see the tree at the Courtyard Cafe St Albans during all of December. And big thanks to lovely yoga teacher who brought us all hot mint tea!