NEW YORK (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Flint was drowning in empty bottles after a toxic water scandal became the latest crisis to hit the Michigan town – this week it fought back with a project that transforms its plastic waste into a hip new line of clothes.
The impoverished community of 100,000, once a thriving manufacturing behemoth, drew national attention in 2015 when research revealed residents were exposed to dangerously high levels of lead in their running water.
Bottled water became a safe alternative, alongside water filters.
The idea is as much about creating objects of beauty as about reviving some of Flint’s lost manufacturing luster, as chronicled by Michael Moore’s acclaimed movie “Roger & Me” about the shutdown of its local auto plants.
Flint has faced a run of crises, sinking deep into depression after its car industry shrank, becoming known for high crime rates, dangerous living and for its city falling into financial emergency.
The public health crisis created by the city’s tainted water affected thousands of residents, causing an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, and led to the unsightly bottle buildup.
“I said ‘How can something that is emblematic of a bad situation leave Flint and return as something that is about the principle of hope and regeneration?
(Courtesy Ben Premeaux) Inspiration came after the conceptual artist visited Flint last year, and found women stitching hospital scrubs and other garments on a basketball court, part of a community project.
Containers designed to collect empty water bottles as part of Flint Fit, an art project to recycle the bottles and transform them into a clothing line, are seen in this October 30th, 2017 photo.
The Flint Fit collection will premiere at the Queens Museum in New York City with a fashion show and exhibition, expected to take place next April, Chin said.