Have You Heard of JUNK?

August 22, 2008

It’s a raft, and I bet you can guess what it’s made of. Yep, junk. More specifically, plastic junk: 15,000 plastic bottles (and part of a Cessna airplane, to add a bit of shelter).

That in itself is pretty cool, but there’s more. It has a point: to bring the issue of plastic waste in our oceans to the forefront. Not a small issue, considering that plastic is 100 percent non-biodegradable and its presence is causing the demise of innumerous sea animals.

Currently, JUNK and its two crew members are nearing the end of their journey from Long Beach, CA, to Hawaii—after sailing smack dab through the middle of the North Pacific Gyre.

You can support the cause by sponsoring a bottle for five dollars. Adding a message is optional, but if you do, they promise to deliver it to local and state legislators later on this year.

To support the journey or just see what they’re up to today, go to junkraft.blogspot.com.

—Gabrielle Harradine, Assistant Editor