When Monika Lin isn't giving a lecture to her students, there's a high chance one might find her wandering the streets and construction sites in search of what most people would consider to be trash.

But to the clinical assistant professor of arts at New York University Shanghai, these salvaged items bear a much more poignant meaning – they are a means of raising important questions about the relationship between man and his impact on the environment, or problems related to society, culture and capitalism.

In the video, Lin talks about her artwork River of Plastic and her ongoing project, both of which deal with human's overconsumption of plastic. She also expresses hope that people can rethink the ways they are using plastic and encourage greater levels of sustainability in society.