Ship Made of Plastic Bottles Completes Epic Pacific Voyage

Written by geri Wednesday, 28 July 2010

After 130 days and 8000 nautical miles, a boat crafted from thousands of plastic bottles sailed into Sydney Harbor on Monday, completing an epic trans-Pacific voyage to highlight the benefits of recycling.

The "Plastiki" catamaran, made from 12,500 bottles and the brainchild of an heir to Britain's Rothschild banking fortune, was greeted by hundreds of well-wishers as it ended its 15,000-kilometre (9,000-mile) journey.

The Plastiki's bottles are lashed to pontoons and held together with recyclable plastic and glue made from cashew nut husks and sugarcane, while its sails are also made from recycled plastic.

The catamaran has been home to 10 members of crew over the 4 month journey, all of whom witnessed the polluted waters of the Pacific while highlighting solutions to protect our oceans and beat waste.

Watch their videos and explore their boat (and mission) and take the pledge at: www.theplastiki.com.

(READ the full story in the Sydney Morning-Herald)