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Environmental activists in Lebanon made a flag measuring 10 metres 45 centimetres (34 feet 3 inches) from approximately 140,000 plastic bottle caps in Keserwan on Wednesday. The dimensions were designed to reflect the country’s total area of 10,452 square kilometers.
Volunteers finished the eco-flag ahead of their 24-hour goal, with heavy participation from local women and children. Made entirely of recycled materials, the structure will now serve as a permanent landmark in the Ajaltoun Council town square.
Caroline Chaptini, the recycling artist behind the project, emphasized that the initiative extends far beyond art, aiming to boost regional environmental awareness. She noted that the materials were a nationwide effort, with bottle caps crowdsourced and collected from across the country.
A seven-time Guinness World Record holder, Chaptini is already working toward her eighth and ninth global milestones. Her portfolio of upcycled installations features the world's largest plastic bottle Christmas tree, a massive crescent moon crafted from 500,000 plastic lids, and a sprawling collaborative mosaic globe in Dubai.
Zeina Sfeir, founder of the co-leading educational institution Z Academy, revealed that the initiative was originally envisioned on a much smaller scale. However, with the robust backing of the Ajaltoun Municipal Council, the project expanded into a massive, nationwide awareness campaign.
She highlighted that the project has two messages: first is to show the children how "garbage" can be used as a material for artworks, and secondly, they can achieve impressive things when people work together in Lebanon.
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