River-running recyclers
Eco-conscious youths have found a fresh approach to recycling some of the millions of plastic bottles discarded by Aucklanders.
The 16-strong team paddled 100 kilometres down the Whanganui River on four kayaks made from 3000 plastic bottles to bring home one message on May 15.
‘‘We want everyone to think twice about what they buy,’’ central Auckland student Florence Reynolds says.
‘‘It’s ridiculous that plastic is made up of non-renewable resources to be used once and thrown away only to become debris in the water.’’
Ms Reynolds has been living without purchasing plastic since January.
‘‘Reusing and recycling is great but you have to do the first step first,’’ she says.
Three Kings resident Shruthi Vijayakumar and ‘I AM’ Challenge founder Daniel Cullum spearheaded the project after a trip to the Amazon last year with the Mike Horn Pangaea programme.
The pair learned some important lessons about environmental sustainability while exploring some of the world’s most remote regions, Ms Vijayakumar says.
They decided to take what they learned and explore New Zealand to spread the message and so the plastic bottle kayak was born.
Youth leaders from across the country soon jumped on board to make up the team.
‘‘We really see the kayak journey as a tool to bring together young people and get them inspired.’’
Two lead designers, including architecture student Amelia Fagence, spent two weeks perfecting the final design.
The team got more than 3000 bottles from recycling bins while a large amount were donated because of manufacturing defects. Bamboo and plywood completed the structure.
After test runs in the water confirmed the first kayak couldn’t be rolled over the remaining boats took little more than a day to build.
The team took to the water on May 12 in Whakahoro. They paddled eight at a time accompanied by a support crew of 10.
They finished their voyage in Pipiriki on Tuesday.