Echoing to the World Oceans Day, Keelung branch organized two upcycled art creation events in 2024: ‘A Date with Keelung through Ships’ and ‘Eco-Squid Comes to Life’. These activities, held in collaboration with local schools and maritime organizations, used discarded materials to craft ships and marine creatures, promoting environmental awareness and encouraging individuals to change their purchasing habits to help protect the oceans. The artistic creations were showcased at the 70th Keelung Maritime Festival, highlighting the maritime sector’s corporate commitment and determination to safeguard marine ecosystems.
The ‘A Date with Keelung through Ships’ event was inspired by the theme of ocean protection, encouraging elementary school students to integrate marine waste and environmental issues into their art. Using recycled plastic bottles, the children hand-crafted a variety of ships, symbolically fueled by a love for the Earth, sailing toward a blue and sustainable ocean. The ‘Eco-Squid Comes to Life’ activity creatively played on the Chinese character for squid (魷, you), using its homophone to promote the message that environmental protection begins with “you”—a call to change personal consumption habits and take action to protect our beautiful seas. Led by Keelung’s renowned rice carving master, Hsieh Yuan-Chang, employees of TIPC and nearby maritime units learned to craft marine creatures such as squid, turtles, fish, and shrimp using discarded materials like styrofoam, old calendars, and newspapers. These upcycled artworks delivered a powerful environmental message—instilling eco-awareness in daily life and inspiring practical steps toward protecting the ocean and reducing waste.
The completed artworks were showcased on July 2, 2024, at the 70th Keelung Maritime Festival celebration. Alongside them was a special installation titled ‘The Whale's Tears’ by the Tzu Chi Foundation, serving as a poignant reminder of the crisis of ocean pollution. The exhibit called on the public to awaken to this urgent issue and reduce the use of single-use plastic packaging. This initiative not only expanded the public outreach of the maritime organizations' commitment to corporate social responsibility but also powerfully conveyed their dedication to marine protection. Through action and creativity, the event embodied the spirit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): SDGs4 (Quality Education), SDGs12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), SDGs14 (Life Below Water), and SDGs17 (Partnerships for the Goals), in order to ensure sustainable consumption and production by emphasizing prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse, significantly minimizing waste generation and collectively working toward a more sustainable future for our planet.
