Photo: Bordalo II

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts in Bordalo Segundo’s mural series “Big Trash Animals,” in which used tires, mangled bumpers, garbage cans, and other scavenged throwaways come together to form vibrant wildlife. Art supplies of the junkyard variety aren’t exactly hard to come by these days—the World Bank estimates that by 2100, the growing global population will produce more than 11 million tons of waste per day.

The environmental costs of that much trash are high and include the leaching of toxic waste, the plasticizing of our oceans, and the release of greenhouse gases. The Portuguese street artist tells The Dodo that his goal is “to depict nature itself—in this case animals—out of materials that are responsible for its destruction." Take note: Recycling looks good.

Photo: Bordalo II

Photo: Bordalo II

Photo: Bordalo II

Photo: Bordalo II

Photo: Bordalo II

onEarth provides reporting and analysis about environmental science, policy, and culture. All opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of NRDC. Learn more or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.