Brigantine man creates art out of litter to foster conversation about sustainability
BRIGANTINE, N.J. (CBS) -- A Brigantine man is on a mission to keep the city's beaches and streets clean of trash, but to accomplish his goal, he first needed to figure out a way to get people's attention.
Eduardo Jiménez starts each day by walking Brigantine's streets around 5 a.m. though he admits the daily routine started out of selfishness.
"It's just for me," Jiménez said. "Time to be myself, and meditate."
Until he began a selfless act.
"As I'm walking, I'm like 'Wow, look at all this trash.' The next time, I'm like, 'Okay, let me bring a bag. I'll pick up some of it,'" Jiménez said. "[Then], I'm like, 'Wow, this is happening every day!'"
Each day, he walks nearly four miles, picking up trash along Brigantine Avenue and on the beach.
But cleaning Brigantine of litter isn't why Jiménez is getting so much attention. It's what he does after his walks.
Jiménez wants to send a message by creating his own artwork with other people's trash.
"I just want others to be conscientious of their community," Jiménez said.
The art community is also taking notice.
Randi Barbin is a co-owner of Dunes Art Gallery, which displays Jiménez's pieces.
"His art was fascinating," Barbin said. "So, we kind of wanted to bring him in and give him a little more exposure."
But, Jiménez wants the exposure so he can make less art.
"I just hope people become more mindful of their trash and waste they create and dispose it properly," Jiménez said.
It would mean he would run out of material for his artwork, perhaps the ultimate selfless act.
