Nonprofit Washed Ashore crafts art and jewelry from ocean plastic

Washed Ashore is an environmental nonprofit that spreads the message about ocean pollution using the visual appeal of art.

While some people scour the beach for shells, Angela Haseltine Pozzi, founder and artistic director of Washed Ashore, instead searched for trash, starting in her small town of Bandon, Oregon.

The giant animals created from marine debris have appeared at various events, both locally and as a traveling exhibit, since the organization's inception in 2010.

Now, the company is pivoting to also make jewelry from ocean plastic.

Living in a coastal town provides a front-row view of the powerful ocean and the crippling consequences of plastics that get washed out to the waters, where they are ingested by marine animals or washed back up on the beach.

A long time artist and educator, she launched Washed Ashore in alignment with her lofty goals to clean the ocean and educate the local and global community about ocean pollution.