We all know The Police’s song “message in a bottle”. With The Plastiki Expedition, David de Rothschild is sending an ecological message to the world in recycled plastic bottles! To draw attention to our every day environmental impact on nature, he is setting out on an extraordinary ecological journey in a boat made of plastic bottles and recycled waste products! Plastic constitutes 90% of all trash floating in the world’s ocean.  A message of environmental awareness will leave from San Francisco’s Pier 31 and sail through a number of fragile and ecologically challenged regions, including the world’s largest waste dump: the Easter Pacific Garbage Patch.

Inspired by Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki Expedition (1947), the Plastiki Expedition involves a 60-foot catamaran made of used two-liter plastic bottles and other recycled materials. From San Francisco to Sydney, this 100% recyclable plastic boat will highlight the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by raising environmental awareness. You’ve probably heard of the world’s largest landfill, floating in the middle of the ocean. The size of the Eastern Garbage Patch is estimated by scientists as two times bigger than Texas. Floating between Hawaii and California, our waste, our plastic bottles, our plastic bags pollute the Pacific Ocean. Therefore, Plastiki it is more than just an ecological adventure. It is a statement.

The boat’s framework is made of self-reinforced polyethylene terephthalate (PET). About 20,000 plastic bottles will fill out the ship’s twin hulls. A 20-foot Plastiki prototype was recently tested in San Francisco’s Bay. David de Rothschild explains, “it performed better than anyone anticipated. We got up to eight knots.” The plastic bottles and recycled waste products used to build the boat are seen by de Rothschild as a treasure. He is trying to promote waste as a resource. Besides, building the Plastiki is supposed to build a recycling culture and sense of responsibility to reuse. He says, “Bottled water has become a symbol of convenience more than anything. The best question to ask is, ‘When did we get so thirsty?’”

The main issue with plastic is that it doesn’t biodegrade. The ecological aim of The Plastiki Expedition is to raise environmental awareness by showing how plastic bottles can be transformed into an effective and useful resource. This eco-trip is the perfect occasion for us to reflect on reusing and rethinking waste. It is not by chance that David de Rothschild chose San Francisco as the launching point of this unique ecological adventure. As he puts it: “[San Francisco] has banned plastic bags and shown a great deal of support for the values that we are trying to represent.”

David de Rothschild knows what he’s talking about. He’s more than the heir to one of the most famous fortunes. By promoting ocean cleanup on a plastic bottle raft and raising environmental awareness, the British environmentalist is once again reaffirming his ecological commitment. Known as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and founder of Adventure Ecology, a platform he uses to empower global youth and inspire tomorrow’s environmental thinkers and doers. If you want to become part of the Plastiki crew, you can enter the SMART ART Competition here and follow David de Rothschild’s example. Prove that trash is treasure through art and show the world how waste can be redesigned.

UPDATE: The Plastiki Expedition departure has been delayed until summer 2009 since the project apparently suffers from a shortage of plastic bottles. David de Rothschild let National Geographic know “We’re waiting for another shipment. We’re having a lot of problems with that.”

Powered by Bookmarkify™