Plastic Odyssey fights plastic pollution from Chennai Port

A unique ship called Plastic Odyssey is currently docked at Chennai Port. This "floating laboratory" is on a three-and-a-half year journey to combat plastic pollution worldwide. The ship started its expedition in Marseilles, France, on October 1, 2022, and aims to gather sustainable solutions for reducing plastic waste. Visitors to the ship were treated to a closer look at its operations. Students from St Antony’s Matriculation High School had a chance to explore this 40-meter vessel. The ship is designed to operate as a research facility with ten specialized areas, including laboratories and recycling workshops. Simon Bernard, the ship’s co-founder and CEO, noted that India uses about ten times less plastic than France. He emphasized the importance of learning from local practices, such as using stainless steel instead of single-use plastic. The expedition connects various innovators and entrepreneurs working on solving plastic problems. A key feature of the ship is its recycling workshop, where plastic waste is transformed into useful products. The crew sorts and shreds plastic, which is then melted to create items like tiles and furniture. The ship also experiments with creating spectacles from recycled materials, collaborating with local organizations. Every minute, about 20 tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean, most of it coming from land. The goal of Plastic Odyssey is to find solutions before waste reaches the ocean. The vessel has hosted numerous entrepreneurs and thousands of students, aiming to inspire a lifestyle with less plastic use. The expedition is set to continue to Reunion Island next month. After the voyage, the team plans to focus on restoring ecosystems through clean-up efforts in hard-to-reach locations.