Alex Shigueta: The Tasty Turtle Treat: A delicious gingerbread cake that is designed to look like many turtles swimming in plastic wrappers, to raise awareness about the widespread issue of plastic pollution in the ocean.
Over one million aquatic animals die from the 100 million tons of plastic dumped in the ocean every single year. The Tasty Turtle Treat consists of many small chocolate turtles inserted into and on top of a gingerbread mold resembling six-pack soda rings. The turtles were created by pouring liquid chocolate into a silicone mold. The Tasty Turtle Treat arouses emotions when the viewer sees the small sea turtles that appear to be swimming, inside the six-pack soda rings.
This dessert was created to put the people in the turtles' position by having to consume a dessert in the form of plastic rings. The hope is that the dissonance created between the unfortunate tale of the turtles and the great taste can resolve into feeling good about “cleaning” up the plastic mess on the plate. It would be exceptional for that wonderful feeling of consuming The Tasty Turtle Treat to translate into stopping plastic pollution and letting the turtles swim in plastic-free water.