On the Small Beach (Klein Strand) in the West Flemish seaside resort of Ostend, the Clean Beach Combers (Proper Strand Lopers) have opened a temporary exhibition with unusual litter. The Clean Beach Combers is a volunteer organisation that cleans up Flemish beaches. The selected litter that is sometimes centuries old is on display in a large container on the beach.
'Clean Beach Combers' launch exhibition with historical litter in Ostend
Colin Clapson
Published:
Over the past five years the Clean Beach Combers collected tonnes of litter on the beach. Every now and then, the litter included a remarkable find. These special objects have been kept and are now on display at Ostend’s Small Beach near the pier.
"It's mainly old packaging with great nostalgic value that takes you back in time," explains coordinator Tim Corbisier. "There are tins of Nivea sunscreen from the 1950s, packaging from chocolate bars from the 1980s and beer bottles from the 1970s. But there are also many older objects. They include stone pipes, for example, or saucepans from the Middle Ages."
A lot of the objects and products are accompanied by pictures and a word of explanation. Fanta drinks bottles are accompanied with explanation about how this brand was created and how the logo developed over the years.
Litter is of all ages
Above all, the exhibition wants to emphasize that litter is of all ages, but that the material it consists of has changed considerably: increasingly, it has become plastic. As a result, the litter stays in the environment longer, exacerbating the litter problem.
The temporary exhibition runs until 15 September and is open every weekday from 10am to 5pm. Sometimes you can also visit the collection at the weekend, but the hours and dates are not fixed.