This ship sails world wide preventing plastic air pollution. We have a look inside

Chennai’s skies and waters are in a endless tussle on who wears the color blue finest. But on the Chennai Port at present a first-of-its-kind vessel is docked, its imposing blue-and-white hull inviting curious glances. The vessel, sized someplace between a ship and a ship appears to be like decidedly misplaced among the many bulk carriers and container ships that dot the ever-busy port. Not far-off is a gaggle of scholars from St Antony’s Matriculation High School, Pallikaranai, in crisp uniforms, carrying crisper smiles, making their technique to the vessel. This is their first time aboard a ship, not to mention one with a objective.

Grandly christened the Plastic Odyssey, this 40-metre lengthy “floating laboratory” is a three-and-half 12 months expedition that set sail from Marseilles, within the South of France, on October 1, 2022, and has since been gathering low-cost, sustainable plastic waste options from world wide. These embrace concepts, improvements and expertise that contributes to plastic recycling and discount. After latest stops at Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia, Plastic Odyssey is on its thirty first stopover in Chennai which can be its solely cease in India. 

Simon Bernard, a former service provider navy officer whose love for the ocean led him on this expedition says, “India is an incredible stopover for us each when it comes to recycling and discount. India consumes 10 instances much less plastic than France, that’s roughly seven kilograms per particular person, per 12 months. There is lots to be taught right here, the usage of stainless-steel as an alternative of single-use plastic as an example.” The now-CEO and co-founder reiterates that the expedition just isn’t restricted to recycling on board; it’s about analysis and incubating programmes whereas working with native entrepreneurs and communities. 

“We have been to 30 international locations to date. There are many initiatives, options, entrepreneurs, and changemakers world wide however they aren’t linked to one another. They are struggling on their very own to search out options. Our job is to make them join, doc all this data and share it worldwide,” he provides.  

The 40-metre vessel is a murals in itself: divided into 10 areas full with evaluation laboratories, recycling workshops, show areas, pyrolysis zones and coaching rooms, it’s nothing wanting a analysis facility on water. With a 20-member crew, of which 9 are skilled sailors, the vessel has been residence to researchers, engineers, activists and entrepreneurs for the final two-and-a-half years.

A tour, led by stopover supervisor Morgane Kerdoncuff, begins at its very coronary heart: the recycling workshop. “This space is devoted to remodeling plastic waste straight into helpful merchandise. The first step is to segregate plastic by kind. We have a number of machines that we constructed right here on the ship, to remodel the ship itself right into a recycling manufacturing unit,” says Morgane. The subsequent step, after sorting, is to shred laborious plastic and delicate plastic into flakes utilizing shredders. Then, the extruder melts the flakes right into a chewing gum-like paste, which in flip will be moulded into usable merchandise like lumber, tiles and different constructing materials. 

“With this sort of lumber, a great different to wooden, you’ll be able to construct furnishings, limitations, decking, bins and tiles for pavements. This is how we give worth to plastic waste to be able to empower native communities to develop micro-recycling factories,” says Morgane. The workshop can be residence to the numerous prototypes that have been made onboard and found on their journey: assume vibrant cleaning soap dishes, hammers, constructing tiles, coconut shell bowls and chairs, tables and furnishings that the crew use. 

The workshop results in a smaller, darker room the place two of the crew members are busy hacking via recycled materials. Beside them, is a neatly stacked row of moulds within the form of spectacle frames. Morgane explains, “Here in Chennai, we try to make spectacles out of recycled plastic. We are working with the Indian Vision Institute [in Palavakkam], to see whether it is doable to construct a mannequin the place individuals from underprivileged communities can deliver plastic waste and make spectacles out of it. It continues to be within the prototyping stage.” ROKA Chennai, a residents welfare affiliation working with stable waste administration, and Kabbadiwala Connect are a number of the different collaborators from town.    

Driven by a staggering statistic that each minute at the least 20 tonnes of plastic waste is dumped into the ocean, of which 78% comes from land sources, what makes this expedition actionable is its very intent. 

“Of all of the plastic waste within the ocean, just one% involves the floor,” says Simon. And so, the concept is to cease the waste on the land supply earlier than it reaches the ocean. “We had about 400 entrepreneurs approaching board to date and sharing their practices, and launching factories of their respective international locations. The purpose is to have these long-running factories all around the world. We additionally had round 5,000 youngsters on board who’ve found a way of life with much less dependence on plastic. I take into account that a huge impact.” 

Senegal was their huge win. There are 10 recycling factories being at the moment arrange on this West African nation. While within the Philippines, the workforce has facilitated factories that may recycle 300 tonnes per 12 months with every of them creating at the least 20 jobs. “We need to replicate this in each nation,” says Simon. 

The college students now snake their well past the recycling workshop, and prototyping room for a quick coaching on fundamental, day by day steps to scale back plastic dependence. Saranya P, of ROKA says, “Deliberate on the life cycle of a product; what does it grow to be on the finish of its life cycle? Think about what we will do in our houses to help this motion; carry your individual bottle, bag and cutlery. Segregate your rubbish at supply. Join a volunteering committee. Wash your dabba… the listing goes on.” The college students pile out with prepared solutions; a area journey properly completed.

Next cease is Reunion Island, in April. Though the expedition is slated to come back to a halt inside the subsequent 12 months, the efforts gained’t cease, assures Simon. “After this expedition, we need to construct a ship to concentrate on restoring ecosystems via clean-ups. We need to focus solely on locations which might be unattainable to succeed in, and are hotbeds of biodiversity. The Henderson Island cleanup was our first step on this course, completed in collaboration with UNESCO. We are calling it The Impossible Cleanup.”  

Get in contact at plasticodyssey.org for info, or to introduce tasksto the workforce