The Bottle Boat Initiative

Organized and Executed by the BottleBoatBoys

(Prashanth, Constantine, and Vincent)

The Problem

• Great Eastern Pacific Garbage Patch – Is growing exponentially – Extremely relevant in Michigan due to Great Lakes• Scum line

THE “MODEL”

Step Units (2009 Base Numbers) 2010 2011

1 # 2,200,000,000,000 2200000000000 2244000000000

2 % 1% 22000000000 22440000000

3 % 7% 1540000000 1570800000

4 Million Tons 0.0308 0.0314

1 Tons 39600000 39600000 40392000

2 % 4% 1386000 1413720

3 % 30.00% 11880000 12117600

4 % 30% 11880000 12117600

5 Tons - 14454000 14743080

6 % 10% 1445400 1474308

7 % 80% 1156320 1179446

8 Million Tons 0.2891 0.2949

Million Tons Total 0.3199 0.3263

Million Tons Total 3.8199 4.1462

Million Tons 0% 0.0000 0.0000

Million Tons Total 3.8199 4.1462

Sq Miles Total 14233761 15449548

PLA

STIC

IN G

ARB

AG

E PA

TCH

Pellets Disposed into the Storm Drains (Rest are salvaged and reused)

Total Plastic lost to storm drainsPELL

ET LO

SSM

ANU

FACT

URE

D PL

ASTI

C LO

SS

Gross Amount

Amount of Plastic Cleaned out from Garbage Patch

Amount of Plastic salvaged from the rivers using BMP -

Amount of Plastic entering the Garbage Patch

Ammount of Manufactured Plastic that gets into the GP

Sum of Existing Plastic and New Added Plastic

Final Value of Plastic in Garbage Patch

Total Addition of Plastic

Plastic Manufactured Goods Disposed into the Storm Drains

Garbage Direct Clean Up

Total Plastic in Garbage Patch

Total amount of plastic goods manufactured (Post-Production)

Amount of plastic goods recycled -

Plastic Manufactured Goods That Can be disposed into the Storm Drains

Amount of Plastic goods lost to landfills -

Amount of Plastic stored by people (taken out of circulation process) -

Description

Pellets That Can be Lost to the storm drain

Area of Garbage Patch

Total amount of plastic pellets (Pre-Production)

• Constructed using EXCEL• Accounts for the “Flow” of plastic from Pellet to the Gyre

Mission Statement

The mission of the Bottle Boat Initiative is to educate the world about the global impact of plastic pollution in the earth’s oceans and to

employ community based strategies to eliminate the accumulation of plastic

pollution in local, and eventually global, bodies of water.

Accomplishing our mission

• Build a boat made out of completely recycled materials– Will raise awareness in a new and innovative way– Will inspire youth to take action – Will excite the public

The Plan • Design and Material Collection – Phase 1

– Includes calculating buoyancy needed for boat – Includes creating blueprints of boat– Includes collection materials required

• Building of Boat – Phase 2 – Complete all tasks required in order to complete construction of the Bottle

Boat

• School Outreach – Phase 3 – Conduct seminars, and presentations at local school– Put in place recycling programs – Put into place “plastic bottle elimination” programs

• Media Coverage – Phase 4 – Boat launch with media coverage

• Newspapers, television– Documentary of entire project

• Entry into environmental film festivals?– Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Website

Effect on Community• Youth – Inspire to embrace this issue and tackle it head

aggressively • Adults– Inspire adults to use their influences to impact the

environment positively • Community – Inspire to become more environmentally

conscience about their decisions – Inspire to spread the word about plastic pollution

and ways to help

Vision for the Future

• An environmentally healthy global water system

• A global network of environmentally passionate youth– Will take charge of the environmental issues left to

our generation – Will, in a combined effort, raise global awareness

about this issue • A “bottle boat initiative” in every state of the

US– that will challenge teens to make a difference in

the environment

The Bottle Boat Initiative

Organized and Executed by the BottleBoatBoys

(Prashanth, Constantine, and Vincent)