The Plastiki is a 60ft boat made entirely of recycled material, including over 12,500 plastic bottles. The boat, which set sail in March 2010 from San Francisco, is set to arrive to Sydney, Australia this month.

It took David de Rothschild, the mastermind behind the boat and founder of Adventure Ecology, over two years to develop the concept and complete building the boat. The boat is fitted with solar panels, a garden, and top of the line electronic equipment, courtesy of HP, all of which are used to maximise the sustainability of the boat, improve its design, and keep everyone all around the world up to date with the journey.

The purpose of the boat was to address the fundamental design flaw in modern day products. The cradle-to-cradle concept allows each and every part of the boat to be used in many different forms over and over again, keeping in mind that it has already been used before by consumers.

So far, the Plastiki has explored the flooded island nations, damaged coral reefs, and has addressed the challenges faced by our acidifying oceans and marine debris, which threatens marine life. The crew relies on fresh food grown on-board the Plastiki, as well as tinned products. As for water, the crew relies on fresh water and tropical showers to fill the water tanks.

One local artist is mirroring the design of the Plastiki in her work is Jenna Mnaimne - a Lebanese artist, photographer, and designer based in Kuwait with sustainability and the environment in the core of her work. Jenna is a recent graduate of the British School of Kuwait; her work has been exhibited at countless exhibitions, including The Green Initiative’s ‘Green Lens’ exhibition, which was held at The Lowry Gallery.

One of Jenna’s recent works was a garden-inspired wedding dress. Combining the traditional white with green with a fitted corset, the dress brings to life the many aspects of nature which inspired Mnaimne to make it. Speaking of her other inspirations, Mnaimne said “My main inspiration in life is my father. His work and attitude towards art inspired me the most to keep a great grip and understanding on what I enjoy. My imagination also plays a great role because I can communicate my thoughts and beliefs into what I enjoy doing most and so I do believe that a picture, and a dress, is truly worth a thousand words. “

Another upcoming artist who was inspired by the Plastiki is Kuwait-born Ferrah Al-Haidar, who is a nineteen year old student at Gulf University for Science and Technology. Ferrah is specialized in the field of photography and oil painting, and her latest piece “It’s about time” is made entirely out of organic and recycled material. The canvas, made of old t-shirts, features photographs which highlight the effects of pollution on Kuwait.

Both artists are young and as inspirational as the Plastiki. Jenna encourages young people to “never let anyone stop you from what you believe in and achieving your goals and dreams; A famous saying that states ‘if there’s a will, there’s a way,’” and that’s certainly the philosophy David de Rothschild goes by in all his adventures, whether they be in Ecuador, or the Polar regions.