Thread: Recycled Island will be created from plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean

Recycled Island will be created from plastic waste in the Pacific Ocean
Susan Wilson
July 1, 2010



Recycled Island is a great idea for getting rid of the floating plastic dump in the Pacific. The island would be built where the trash is located and would convert the waste onsite cutting down on cleanup and building costs. It would be between Hawaii and San Francisco in the heart of the Pacific Ocean’s currents.

Currently, this research project is in the design phase. The Netherlands Architecture Fund has provided the grant money for the project. WHIM architecture firm is conducting the research and design of Recycled Island. The project was created to look at a way to turn the floating plastic into urban habitats.



The Pacific Ocean trash dump is twice the size of Texas, or the size of Spain combined with France. The Pacific Vortex as it is sometimes called, is made up of four million tons of Plastic. Cleaning it up is going to cost a lot of money and require a great deal of either scooping up the plastic and shipping it back to shore, or some sort of onsite recycling for building something like Recycled Island.

One of the three major aims of the project is to clean up the floating trash by recycling it on site. Two, the project would create new land for sustainable habitation complete with its own food sources and energy sources. Lastly, Recycled Island is to be a sea worthy island.



Further aspects of the island would be: the creation of “fertile ground” from compost toilets. The island would also be non-polluting, using natural resources. Recycled Island would be 10,000 Km2 or the size of Hawaii’s main island. It would be self-sustaining and not dependant on other countries. The urban housing would be designed for future climate refugees. These are very lofty goals but if carried out, Recycled Island would turn the trash into a money making enterprise rather than an economic sink hole.



Electricity would come from renewable resources like solar, wave, and wind energies. Seaweed farms would serve two main purposes: habitat and food for fish; and as “’nutrient sinks’ that would take up inorganic nutrients (ammonia, nitrate, phosphate) from the water column.” The seaweed can also be used for other things like people food, biofuel, CO2 capture and medicine.



Currently, the project is looking for samples of the broken down plastic in the Pacific dump to examine recycling possibilities. Research is also being conducted to determine the best methods for collecting the plastic and to locate chemists and engineers to help with the best recycling methods and “construction of the floating habitats.”

If and when Recycled Island is actually created, it will be a marvelous place to live, work, and vacation. All that and saving the environment too.

All photos are from Recycled Island.

green.blorge.com

Originally Posted by Mid

It would be between Hawaii and San Francisco in the heart of the Pacific Ocean’s currents.

So what if Russia or an Islam state decided to build one as well ?

Make it a new tax heaven, we need more Anguilla's, Nauru's, Antigua's and Barbuda's!

This not really very amusing satire is a sad reflection of our collective inability to deal with waste.
Unfortunately most of the plastic is broken down to small pieces that is deadly to marine life .

This sounds like a big con. To get donations and grants, by putting together some fancy mock up photos.

The Pacific Ocean is deep. It took millions of years to create Hawaii.

Humm I believe that the band gorillaz have been working on this project for a while

Plastic Beach

Originally Posted by The_Ghost_Of_The_Moog

This sounds like a big con. To get donations and grants, by putting together some fancy mock up photos.

The Pacific Ocean is deep. It took millions of years to create Hawaii.

It appears the intent is for it to be a floating island as they say the plastic will be "recycled into hollow blocks, that will have the floating character and will become the construction elements for the island. Obtaining the plastic from the Ocean will be very time consuming and could take years."

TH

Originally Posted by The_Ghost_Of_The_Moog

This sounds like a big con.

I wrote the same thing and for some odd reason my post was deleted.

Curious.

Well the important thing is to clean up the mess, as our spoiled seas are a disgrace, and as serious as many other environmental scandals that command a far higher profile.

So I guess if this gimmicky sounding project even draws attention to that, it has merit.

.... The urban housing would be designed for future climate refugees. .... Sounds like Utopia to me! What, or who, are "future climate refugees"? Dont we have enough refugees in the world - all looking for Utopia?