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Trash floats eco-warrior’s boat: David de Rothschild plans to sail the Plastiki, his catamaran made of soda bottles, to the giant floating garbage patch in the Pacific to publicize environmental woes

Posted by: Maven on February 21, 2010 at 7:11 am

plastikiFrom the Los Angeles Times:

“Reporting from Sausalito, Calif. – David de Rothschild is talking trash, lots and lots of trash.

“There were 25 billion Styrofoam cups used last year. How do you even get your head around what 25 billion Styrofoam cups looks like?” he said. “Eighty-odd percent of what’s purchased by Americans is thrown out within six months.”

On this day, though, the British banking heir is focused on some very particular refuse as he skims along the San Francisco Bay in a catamaran called Plastiki: The 12,000 or so recycled soda bottles lashed together to build his clunky vessel, and the growing heap of plastic fragments called the Eastern Garbage Patch floating in the Pacific.

If all goes well — so far, it’s been a little hit and miss — De Rothschild hopes to set sail aboard Plastiki in March, tour the garbage patch and end up in Australia, while blogging about the evils of plastic and a consumer society.

He also wants to highlight Plastiki’s innovations, like the glue made of cashew hulls and sugar, which he said “could go to market today and take epoxies — horrible, noxious stuff — off the shelf straightaway.” … “

Read more from the Los Angeles Times by clicking here.

February 21, 2010 · Filed Under Oceans & Beaches

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