The Poly-Roger set sail from Salford Quays this morning to raise awareness of plastic pollution in the country's rivers and canals. The twelve-seater punt is made from Plaswood, a hardwearing alternative to wood created entirely from recycled single-use plastic, and is powered by a rechargeable electric motor. It's only the third boat of its kind in the world and the first to launch outside of London.
The Poly-Roger, launched by Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, with environmental charity Hubbub, is to embark on a Plastic Fishing Tour of Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Scotland, taking people out on 'plastic fishing' trips to raise awareness of the growing levels of plastic pollution in rivers and canals and to encourage more people to recycle their used plastic.
"The pictures we've received from all over the country have shown how widespread the problem of plastic pollution is and it's heartening to hear about the great work being done by volunteers battling to keep their local areas clean and safe for wildlife" says Gavin Ellis, Co-founder and Director of Hubbub.
"We've seen the difference that plastic fishing has made in London, where we've taken 1,415 people out on trips and collected 162 kg from the London Docklands" he explains "We're now looking forward to cleaning up more waterways across the UK. We hope the Plastic Fishing Tour will also remind people of the importance of recycling the plastic we use in our everyday lives."
The Poly-Roger was built using funds collected from Starbucks' 5p charge on drinks purchased in a paper cup across its 950 stores nationwide, and one of the four areas it's visiting will be chosen to keep the boat on a permanent basis.
The Plastic Fishing Tour of Greater Manchester runs until 2nd May, in partnership with the Mersey Rivers Trust.
Find out more information and register interest in going on a trip see www.hubbub.org.uk/plastic-fishing-tour
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