TransPennine Express (TPE) and local artist Andy Pea have unveiled a sculpture made entirely of recycled materials at Hull Paragon Station ahead of Global Recycling Day.
The temporary artwork, which will be on display at the station for one day only, took more than 50 hours to create and is located opposite the entrance to the platforms. It features more than a tonne of water bottles, cups, cardboard, newspapers and plastic waste – all collected from some of TPE’s trains and from Hull Paragon itself.
The train company commissioned Hull-based artist Andy Pea to create the sculpture, an impressionist view of one of their trains, to mark Global Recycling Day on 18 March and highlight TPE’s continued effort towards becoming greener and further reducing its carbon footprint.
Local children from Adelaide Primary School also contributed to the artwork by collecting items that could be recycled and created their own sketches of how the sculpture could look, which Andy Pea took as inspiration for his final creation.
Fran Barrett, Business Assurance Director at TransPennine Express said: “We are committed to protecting the environment for future generations, and we wanted to commission this temporary sculpture to highlight this commitment ahead of Global Recycling Day. Recycling our waste is one key part of our sustainability strategy and in 2021 we collected and recycled 221 tonnes of recyclable waste.
“In recent years, we have increased our recycling rates from 36 per cent to 64 per cent and we have a target to increase our recycling again this year. Any waste that we can’t recycle is sent to Energy From Waste to generate electricity, as we continue to send zero waste to landfill.
“With Global Recycling Day approaching, we wanted to show our continued dedication to recycling and work with Andy to create something special to mark the day. We’re delighted with the result!”
Andy Pea, a practising artist for more than 25 years who has produced work in the UK, Europe and Mexico said: “I’m thrilled I could work with TPE on this project, and it was fantastic to see so many admirers of the work at the station today, including the children from Adelaide Primary School, who did a fantastic job in providing me with the inspiration to create the sculpture.”
TPE has already taken steps towards becoming greener and is on track to reduce carbon emissions by 30 per cent per vehicle kilometre by April 2023. The new Nova train fleet, which includes bi-mode and electric trains, helps reduce passengers’ CO2 emissions by 77 per cent compared to travelling by an average car.
Hull Trains and Northern, who also operate services out of Hull Paragon Station, joined TPE for the unveiling of the sculpture, illustrating their commitment to sustainability and their desire to constantly look to make positive changes to the way they operate to benefit the environment.
Global Recycling Day was created in 2018 to help recognise, and celebrate, the importance recycling plays in preserving precious primary resources and securing the future of the planet.
To read more about TPE’s sustainability drive visit: Sustainability | Low Carbon Travel | First TransPennine Express