Plastic pollution can be a heavy topic but some creative people who don’t see it this way. Across the globe, individuals or groups of people are coming together with hilarious ways to collect and recycle plastic. We have put together our five favourites, enjoy!
Waste Shark
This waste gobbling robot shark makes plastic pollution disappear. Waste Shark was created by South African entrepreneur Richard Hardiman after he recognised most ocean plastic comes from shorelines. The aquatic drone is designed to autonomously cruise harbours and eat up garbage before it drifts out to sea. Waste Shark can even send back other diagnostics for people researching the harbour including water depth, weather, and local water quality.
Watch video: https://twitter.com/GlblCtzn/status/1051533798217801728
Floating bike collecting plastic
Some of us use bicycles for a good workout. Dhruv Boruah, an avid cyclist and environmentalist, redesigned his bike to float in London waterways and collect trash. After racing a yacht across the ocean from London to Rio de Janeiro, he came across two turtles choking in plastic and was inspired to act. His plastic collecting bicycle is made from bamboo with two yellow floats attached to each side.
Boruah said in an interview with CNN "'Life is about being with Mother Nature, enjoying Mother Nature, challenging yourself from out of your comfort zone, and if you can do something good while doing it, why not?”
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsbFtJzOwco
Kayak made from plastic bottles
College student Jake wanted a way to use pesky plastic bottles. He decided to create an open kyack in his dorm room and post the instructions online. Jake collected 270 sports bottles and carefully assembled them to create the structure. Upon completion, he took the boat to his local river for a paddle. The boat was surprisingly durable and had great buoyancy.
Find the instructions here: https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-an-open-kayak-from-recycled-bottles/
Art made from flip flops
One Kenyan group is turning discarded flip-flops into beautiful artworks. Ocean Sole was started by Julie Church, a Kenyan biologist who noticed that children were making toys out of old sandals that washed up on beaches of Kiwayu in Kenya. She saw a chance to create jobs and clean up the beaches in the process. Ocean Sole has cleaned up well over 1,000 tons of flip flops and provides income to 150 Kenyans.
Check out their video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZV9J62Z2Vk
A plastic bottle garden
Plastic bottle gardens are taking off! The trend is a great way to repurpose old plastic bottles and can be as simple as one plant or a whole vertical garden! Some avid gardeners even positioned the bottles to create a drip water irrigation system. If anyone is wanting to help reduce pollution but doesn’t have the time to build a waste robot shark, you should try plastic bottle plants.
Check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebBez6bcSEc&t=262s
Plastic is a valuable resource if you have commitment or creativity. Recycling is the most effective way to help return the value of plastic. So if you’re making a boat or putting a milk bottle in the correct bin - everyone has a small, yet impactful role to play.
