Mon, Oct 07, 2024 | Rabiʻ II 3, 1446 | DXB 32°C

Two UAE-based ladies are wearing garbage for 30 days. Here's why 

Two UAE-based ladies are wearing garbage for 30 days. Heres why 

Have you spotted them yet? 

  • Anita Iyer
  • Updated: Fri 13 Apr 2018, 5:00 PM

You probably don't think twice before using that plastic bag to pack your fruits at the supermarket, or throwing garbage bags down your apartment garbage shaft each day. We tend to take the waste for granted and hardly give a thought to our growing trash culture.
To drive home the awareness, two UAE-based women have been wearing clothes stuffed with garbage they use every day. They will do so for a month. Their campaign started on Earth Hour (March 24) and will continue till Earth Day on April 22.  
You can spot Marita Peters and Mariska Nell on the Dubai streets wearing their garbage suits, till they go to sleep. 
When we met the duo, we noticed that while Mariska's dress was overflowing with trash, Marita was carrying only a few pieces. Why? She explains: "I am the conscious one, living a more sustainable life trying to refuse, reduce and reuse to minimise the amount of trash. I have been carrying reusable items like cutlery, cups etc. and packing all my groceries, fresh produces with zero packaging." 
On the other hand, Mariska is carrying around the amount of trash an average person creates in a day: 2-3 kg!  By now, she is heavier by 35 kilos and also carrying a trolley along. Marita on the other hand is carrying less than 2 kgs of trash. 
On Day 18, Mariska posted on Instagram that their look has been creating a wave of curiosity among the residents. "We stopped traffic, had the security guards worried about our trolley and many people walked up to us asking what we were wearing," read the post. 
And that is exactly the aim of the campaign: to create conversations. "The moment I explain our cause, they are touched and give me hugs. People want to know how they can reduce the volume of their waste," Mariska points out. 
A budding environmentalist, Marita wants to start a guerrilla awareness campaign. "We wanted people to notice us, ask us questions and decide to change one habit." And they are succeeding in getting one nod at a time! 

Follow their journey below: 

 
 
Day 12 completed. Still feels a bit strange to carry all this waste with me, but it is spreading an inspirational message and I am so thankful for every single person that has been motivating, thanking and just all the people who have been hanging out with me while dressed in the trash. Today I had such a funny experience at the physio. Their lift is very tiny and to fit my @gowagonuae and my suit in the lift was no easy task. Thanks to the wonderful team at @orthosportsdubai for making sure I fit and for taking such great care of me and my shoulders. #wastemenot #SaveThePlanet #Wastenotwantnot #Sustainability #onebottleatatime #climatechange #TrashMe #RobGreenfield #WasteShouldNotbeWasted #EarthHourtoEarthDay #30DayChallenge #MamaEarth #Environment #WasteMeNotUAE #UAEwaste #environmentallyfriendly #planetfriendly #wastefree #growyourown #savewater #LonelyWhale #TrashLadies #recyclewoman #DubaiTrashWomen #Wasteful #positivechanges #The5Rs #AverageWasteperperson #Trashsuit #SuitofTrash
A post shared by Design By Mariska (@designbymariska) on


Next Story