A small look at a big problem

By Benazir Wehelie, Special to CNN

Updated 0032 GMT (0832 HKT) July 27, 2015

A plastic bag rests over a bush in the Bolivian Altiplano plateau. Photographer Eduardo Leal found this to be common in the region.
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A plastic bag rests over a bush in the Bolivian Altiplano plateau. Photographer Eduardo Leal found this to be common in the region.
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Leal got low to take photos of the bushes to make them look like trees. "Turning little bushes into big trees was to show the size of the problem," he said.
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Leal got low to take photos of the bushes to make them look like trees. "Turning little bushes into big trees was to show the size of the problem," he said.
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What makes Leal's photos so revealing is the fact that there are no people around. It shows that while the bags may have been discarded long ago, they never completely disappear.
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What makes Leal's photos so revealing is the fact that there are no people around. It shows that while the bags may have been discarded long ago, they never completely disappear.
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The photos were all shot at sunset. "I tried to create beauty, because maybe with beauty people will look at (the photos) for more time and maybe they will question themselves," Leal said.
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The photos were all shot at sunset. "I tried to create beauty, because maybe with beauty people will look at (the photos) for more time and maybe they will question themselves," Leal said.
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Plastic bags can be found everywhere on the planet, from the very top of Mount Everest to the deep depths of the oceans, Leal said.
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Plastic bags can be found everywhere on the planet, from the very top of Mount Everest to the deep depths of the oceans, Leal said.
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"Plastic bags -- as small as they are, as light as they are, as cheap as they are, as useful as they are -- they are a big problem," Leal said.
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"Plastic bags -- as small as they are, as light as they are, as cheap as they are, as useful as they are -- they are a big problem," Leal said.
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Leal acknowledges that plastic bag pollution might be the result of weak waste management infrastructures and a lack of education about how to take care of the environment.
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Leal acknowledges that plastic bag pollution might be the result of weak waste management infrastructures and a lack of education about how to take care of the environment.
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In 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records named the plastic bag the "most ubiquitous consumer item" in the world.
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In 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records named the plastic bag the "most ubiquitous consumer item" in the world.
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Story highlights

  • Eduardo Leal photographed plastic bags that are polluting the Bolivian Altiplano
  • He hopes the images will make people take a second look at their own habits

(CNN)In 2010, the Guinness Book of World Records named the plastic bag the "most ubiquitous consumer item" in the world, with trillions made every year.

Unfortunately, many of them are not recycled.
    Plastic bags can be found everywhere on the planet, from the very top of Mount Everest to the deep depths of the oceans, photographer Eduardo Leal said. And Leal's "Plastic Trees" photos, shot on the Bolivian Altiplano plateau, further illustrate this global environmental concern.
      "The series is called 'Plastic Trees,' but actually they are little bushes. ... I turned them into trees (by) photographing from a low angle," Leal said. "Turning little bushes into big trees was to show the size of the problem."
      The photos were all shot at sunset, resulting in a captivating consistency and organic golden glow. By photographing a grave issue in a visually aesthetic manner, Leal challenges viewers to consider their own treatment toward the environment.
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      Photographer Eduardo Leal
      Photographer Eduardo Leal
      "Sometimes when it's a problem, we tend to shout,"