THE world’s only boat made entirely of recycled plastic is making waves in the Capital’s environmental scene.
Hubbub Foundation UK’s innovative vessel is not just for show either, and will be setting sail on the Thames to take children on educational ‘plastic fishing’ trips after receiving a significant cash boost from the City Bridge Trust.
“There is increasing concern about the amount of waste plastic littering our oceans and waterways,” explained Trewin Restorick, chief executive and co-founder of Hubbub.
“We hope that the trips will stimulate students to take action in their schools, helping to turn the tide on the growing amount of plastics being dumped.”
The boat, christened Poly-Mer and developed in partnership with Canary Wharf College, was commissioned to raise awareness of the growing levels of plastic pollution in Britain’s waterways.
The £77,000 grant will cover the costs of 55 plastic fishing trips for children from over 25 London schools. Recruits will be targeting the docks around Canary Wharf when they set sail.
Recyclable material collected will be used to build more boats, with the aim of creating a litter-busting fleet that can be deployed across the UK. “We all have a responsibility to do everything we can to take care of our environment,” explained Alison Gowman, chair of the City Bridge Trust committee. “Educating children on how they can make a difference is the way forward to making a real step-change.”
