Disruptive carbonated water company SodaStream has teamed up to create a massive marine device to help combat and clean up plastic waste from open waters and oceans.
The group effort by SodaStream executives from over 45 countries is tackling the issue of oceanic plastic pollution in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Roatan in Honduras.
Teaming with international environmental specialists, the NGO Plastic Soup Foundation, Honduran government officials, hundreds of local school children and a large contraption called the 'Holy Turtle', this is said to be the first-known attempt by a commercial company to undertake a physical clean-up of trash from open waters.
“More than 8 million tons of plastic goes into the ocean every year. This plastic doesn't disappear. It breaks up into tiny particles, floats in the ocean, endangers marine life and ends up in our food chain”, SodaStream CEO, Daniel Birnbaum says.
“We must all put our hands together to reduce the use of single-use plastic and commit ourselves to changing our habits and go reusable. It’s in our hands.”
The Holy Turtle is an innovative 1000-foot long floating unit designed to be gently towed by two marine vessels along kilometers of open waters.
The contraption is uniquely engineered to capture floating waste while its large vent holes act to protect wildlife.
In addition to the clean-up, the four-day SodaStream mission to Honduras includes educational sessions from environmental experts so local school children can become ambassadors for the environment within their community.