News / Plastic
Boat made from recycled plastic to fish litter from Bristol harbour
A vessel made from recycled plastic is the newest addition to Bristol harbour’s boating collection.
Powered by a chargeable electric motor, Seacycler will take school children and members of the public on free ‘plastic fishing’ excursions. These are also available to businesses at a fee.
With 80 per cent of the ocean’s pollution stemming from rivers, the project aims to provide education on the impact of litter on the environment.
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Unveiled in the docks on Tuesday, the boat proudly displays the sign ‘I am made from recyclable plastic’.
Composed of Plaswood, an alternative to wood made from recycled plastic, this environmental punt also has a somewhat royal connection. The boat builder, Mark Edwards MBE designed Gloriana, one of the Queen’s boats.
Behind this project lies a partnership between Hubbub and Sustainable Hive. Hubbub is a charity and social enterprise which creates campaigns promoting environmental causes. The charity’s first plastic fishing punt was launched from the London Docklands in 2017 and has since taken 2,700 people aboard.
Hannah Moore Primary School Children with the plastic they have collected – photo by Paul Driver/ Hubbub
Hubbub donated their Seacycler to the Bristol-based education consultancy Sustainable Hive. The consultancy, run by three ex-teachers who hold 45 years of educational experience between them, will run the tours. The project was funded by Danone UK & Ireland and Bunzi.
Libby Bowles is programme coordinator at Sustainable Hive. She believes the project will be an important eye-opener for locals as “almost half of the public don’t realise the association between their own litter and what ends up in the ocean”.
School children pick litter with Clare Marshall, company director at Sustainable Hive – photo by Paul Driver/ Hubbub
The boat’s mission to engage with the local community seems to be working.
Gavin Ellis, the director at Hubbub, says: “Earlier on a lady who lives locally called out while we were on the boat. She told us to go plastic fishing in a specific area further down the harbour. Often the plastic is not in obvious places or plain view, it lives between houseboats and in little corners.”
The Seacycler sets off across Bristol’s harbour – photo by Paul Driver/ Hubbub
Libby specifies that the areas of the harbourside next to restaurants amalgamate the most litter saying: “Even if you’re walking around the harbour, you can see so much takeaway packaging just waiting to be blown into the river.”
Hubbub and Sustainable Hive are preparing to launch more inventive litter picking excursions, with litter picking at a silent disco and on a robot shaped pirate ship also planned. As Gavin puts it, “watch this space”.
Main courtesy of Paul Driver/ Hubbub
Read more: Plea for return to reusables as Bristol businesses get set to reopen
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