In February 2026, the Scottish Islands Federation hosted its second online Skill Share and Networking Event, bringing together creatives, beach cleaners, litter pickers and environmental practitioners. The event was designed to strengthen connections and foster practical collaboration between those collecting marine litter and those transforming it through creative practice.
The programme featured two inspiring keynote contributions:
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David of the Sanday Community Craft Hub shared insights from his role as Creative Sustainability Coordinator, outlining Sanday’s monthly beach surveys and demonstrating how recovered materials are being used to communicate powerful environmental messages within the community.
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Jeni Reid, representing Applied Arts Scotland, introduced the “Closing the Loop” collective, illustrating how LDPE and HDPE waste — including milk bottles and coffee packaging — can be repurposed into high-quality jewellery using accessible tools such as panini presses, making creative recycling achievable without industrial infrastructure.
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Recordings of both presentations will be made available here shortly.
The event was a clear success, with strong participation and continued enthusiasm for collaboration from creatives and beach cleaners alike. Discussions generated a wealth of inspiring ideas and reinforced a shared commitment to developing innovative responses to marine litter.
The Scottish Islands Federation extends its sincere thanks to Sea-Changers; without their generous support, the event would not have been possible.