The Plastiki – Voice for Nature

Sailing on plastic, an adventure to give our oceans a voice.

Plastiki sailed the Pacific to call attention to plastic in our oceans and demonstrate possible solutions to the problem.

The adventure began as an audacious idea inspired by a UNEP report titled ‘Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Deep Waters and High Seas.’

Principles of ‘cradle-to-cradle’ design and biomimicry were paramount to Plastiki’s design and innovation process. Plastiki was not only about starting a conversation, she was about showcasing solutions.

In 2010, Plastiki sailed from San Francisco to Sydney to draw attention to the health of our oceans.

Plastiki and her crew journeyed for over 3 months and 11,000 nautical miles across the Pacific ocean.

The journey generated immense global attention, whilst sharing a spectacular and poignant message. Plastiki is the ultimate ‘message in a bottle.’ A message that continues to be relevant to this day. Plastiki is also our reminder to embrace curiosity and follow it to discovery, innovation and dialogue.

DESIGN AND INNOVATION

Plastiki is a 60-foot catamaran that floats on hulls filled with ranks of soda bottles. It is held together by adhesives derived from sugar and cashew nuts. The superstructure was built from a composite of recyclable plastic fabric called Seretex, a material invented specifically for the purposes of this project. Everything about Plastiki was designed for sustainability and self-sufficiency — equipped with solar-powered electronics, a geodesic-dome cabin, and a rotating cylinder garden.