When you picture yourself on vacation, do you think of palm trees, sandy beaches, and clear blue waters? Ramon Knoester, an architect and designer from Holland has proposed an idea that may change future vacation destinations. He has plans to create an island made entirely from plastic waste collected from the oceans. He calls his creation “Recycled Island” and it would have the ability to sustain agriculture and a community. The idea is a creative solution to clean up the great garbage patch in the Northern Pacific Subtropical gyre. Would you vacation on a giant island made from recycled plastic?
Why does the patch need to be cleaned up?
The existence of an oceanic garbage patch that has been increasing tenfold every decade since the 1950s has some consequences that are of immediate concern. For example, plastic pollution has direct damage on marine organisms and seabirds. These animals are dying from ingesting the material, or suffocating from entanglement. Over 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds die from plastic each year. Eliminating plastic debris is of great importance and transforming the great patch into a self-sustaining island could be a possible solution.
Can this dream become reality?
“Recycled Island” may seem like a far-fetched idea, but there is a chance that it will be created. After presenting his vision at the Fifth International Marine Debris Conference in Hawaii, Ramon Knoester was given a grant from the Netherlands Architecture Fund to design a prototype for the 10,000 square kilometer habitat. He admits that it is a daunting task that will take years to complete, but it is possible and something needs to be done about plastic waste. This island will not only reduce marine pollution, but it will provide a welcoming and sustainable environment for climate refugees. Who knows, maybe you will be vacationing to “Recycled Island” instead of Hawaii sometime in the future.
References:
- Berton, Justin. “Continent-size toxic stew of plastic trash fouling swath of Pacific Ocean.” San Francisco Chronicle 110 (2007): 8
- Dore, J., et al. “Ecosystem changes in the North Pacific subtropical gyre attributed to the 1991-92 El Nino.” Nature 373 (1995): 230-231.
