Using 20 tons of salvaged plastic from the Nile River, this stunt signals the start of a plan to clean
the planet for the next 100 years
NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The world’s largest plastic waste pyramid has been revealed in Egypt today ahead of COP2 y7 in Sharm el-Sheik. The unveiling marks the beginning of a movement called the 100YR CLEANUP – an initiative led by zero-waste company Zero Co and mission-led wine The Hidden Sea. It seeks to fund large-scale clean ups for the next 100 years and drive accountability for the single-use plastic problem.
Erected in Egypt’s Western Desert, just outside of Cairo, the immense structure took five days to build, weighs a whopping 20 tons, is taller than a three-story building, and is made using the equivalent of 1 million plastic water bottles collected from the Nile River.*
In a strike of collective action, consumers can sponsor the removal of “bundles of trash” while businesses can be part of the game-changing initiative by contributing funds towards the initiative.
Justin Moran, the founder of The Hidden Sea, a wine company removing plastic from the ocean every time a bottle is bought, said: “Despite its epic size, the pyramid shows just a fraction of what is an incredible crisis. Powered by wine drinkers, The Hidden Sea has removed 18 million plastic bottles from the ocean so far; this demonstrates that consumers simply need a clear way to be part of the solution. This COP27, our message is clear. It’s time to draw a line in the sand and change how we manage the crisis. Those who have the ability, have the responsibility.”
To personally mark the launch of 100YR CLEANUP, founder Mike Smith will camp out on top of the pyramid for three days to call for support from people and businesses to join the movement.
100YR CLEANUP founder, Mike Smith, said: “We can’t fix the plastic problem alone, but we can give everyone the ability to take action. By working together with businesses, and industry leaders and inviting the public to take direct action, we’ll be able to build a scalable solution to the problem and have a huge impact.”
Zero Co and The Hidden Sea aim to raise $1,000,000 for the 100YR CLEANUP over the next 12 months, which will remove 15 million water bottles worth of rubbish and drive the initiative’s mission year on year, for the next 100 years.
“We want to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to experience untouched wilderness in all its powerful forces. Whilst we inherit this planet from our ancestors, we also borrow it from our children,” continued Mike Smith.
By sponsoring the 100YR CLEANUP and buying a bundle of rubbish, individuals and businesses can contribute to future cleanups around the world. With sufficient funding, the team hopes to build full-time teams in South-East-Asia and Australia to clean the planet 5 days a week, every week, every year, for the next 100 years.
The Nile River cleanup event is in partnership with VeryNile. VeryNile is an organization based in Cairo that cleans up the banks of the Nile and interlaces social and environmental impact to remove inorganic waste from the river. The plastic waste pyramid has been built in collaboration with VeryNile and Egyptian Artist Bahia Shehab. The structure is over 32 feet tall and 39 feet wide.
The Hidden Sea is a south Australian wine with a very clear purpose. One Wine. One Mission. To remove plastic from the ocean. It has a clear and quantifiable consumer promise; by drinking one bottle of The Hidden Sea it removes the equivalent of 10 single use plastic bottles from the Ocean and recycles them. To date, The Hidden Sea has removed over 18 million bottles with the hope of getting to one billion by 2030.
Zero Co is on a mission to Untrash The Planet by stopping the production of single-use plastic and cleaning up rubbish from oceans, rivers, mountains, deserts and wilderness areas around the world.
They use this rubbish to make zero waste and single-use plastic free packaging for body care and home-cleaning products, made to refill and last a lifetime. All products are made in Australia from plant and mineral based formulations, are grey water and septic safe, vegan and cruelty free.
Since launching, less than two years ago, Zero Co has:
- Pulled 1,106,706 water bottles of rubbish from the ocean and turned that waste into our Forever Bottles.
- Funded, participated in and delivered 19 cleanup initiatives around the world.
- Stopped 1,561,881 water bottles of plastic being made, used once and thrown away as a result of its world-first pouch cleaning technology.
SOURCE: The Hidden Sea
