Seacycler clears Bristol Harbour of plastic waste
A NEW vessel, designed to clean up the plastic pollution of our waterways, was recently unveiled in Bristol.
The 12-seater punt made from 99% recycled plastic was launched by environmental charity Hubbub. The boat will be permanently based in Bristol Harbour, an 83-acre area that attracts many visitors and a considerable amount of litter.
This project is funded equally by Bunzl and Danone UK & Ireland and named Seacycler. It has been donated to education consultants Sustainable Hive, who will take local people out on ‘plastic fishing’ trips. The aim is to remove plastic waste and raise awareness of the growing levels of plastic pollution in Bristol’s waterways. They hope to educate local schoolchildren and businesses about the impact of litter on the environment and the value of recycling plastic.
Seacycler is made from single-use plastic and is only the sixth of its kind in the world. It was built by Mark Edwards MBE, who also built the Queen’s barge Gloriana. The design is based on a traditional punt but made from Plaswood, which is made entirely from recycled plastic, some of which was repurposed from packaging recycled by employees at Danone’s UK offices. The vessel, powered by a rechargeable electric motor, was officially launched by the Lord Mayor of Bristol.
Seacycler will be moored at Young Bristol pontoon, where the plastic fishing trips will set off from. Each trip will aim to remove plastic debris from Bristol Harbour, which will then be recycled and go towards making other boats with the same aim. The first punt made from recycled plastic, the Poly-Mer, was launched in London in 2017 and so far has taken 2700 people plastic fishing, collecting 2819 plastic bottles from the Docklands to be used to build more recycled plastic boats.
Gavin Ellis, co-founder and director of Hubbub, said: “While we have woken up to the problem of plastic pollution in our waterways, our canals, rivers, and harbours continue to be filled with plastic litter which breaks down and is very harmful to wildlife.
“By involving local schools and businesses in a fun and engaging way, the plastic fishing trips on Seacycler will not only help clean up the harbour and reduce the impact of litter on wildlife, but it also demonstrates that plastic has a value and can be turned into something useful.”
Clare Marshall, director, Sustainable Hive, said: “The young people in Bristol are eager to make a difference to the litter in our waterways; they want to lead by example, be proactive and highlight the problem to others. Seacycler will enable us to work with this trailblazing crew to not only help keep Bristol Harbour clean but to also inspire other generations to do the same. Seacycler is exactly what we want to champion; education that is fun, thought-provoking and delivers change.”
Seacycler has already attracted a lot of attention and interest from groups such as the Cubs as well as the general public. Plastic fishing trips in Bristol Harbour will be available to local schools for free and to local businesses for a fee – those interested in taking part should contact olivia@sustainablehive.com