Page 41 - Plastics News August 2018

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

UK theme parks to offer half-price Palestinian fisherman makes

entry in exchange for used plastic environmentally-friendly boats
bottles from plastics

isitors to some of the UK’s most popular tourist 3DOHVWLQLDQ ÀVKHUPDQ XVHV SODVWLF ERWWOHV WR
Vattractions are to be offered half-price entry in A ÁRDW KLV ERDW DV KH KHDGV RXW WR VHD RII WKH FRDVW
exchange for used plastic drinks bottles, as part of a trial of Rafah in search of his daily catch. 35-year old
which gives instant incentives for recycling. In a tie-up 3DOHVWLQLDQ 0XDWK $ERX =HLG PDGH D ÀVKLQJ ERDW IURP
between theme park operator Merlin and drinks giant Coca- hundreds of plastic bottles and it was abandoned on
Cola, a series of so-called “reverse vending machines” the coast of Rafah in the Gaza Strip.But for the past
will be installed outside the
entrances of Alton Towers,
Thorpe Park, Chessington
:RUOG RI $GYHQWXUHV DQG
Legoland. In a bid to boost
flagging recycling rates
and tackle plastic litter,
the machines will reward
users depositing any 500ml
plastic bottle with half-price two weeks, the father of four, has been out at sea for
about eight hours a day and managed to catch between
discount vouchers which can
be redeemed at all 30 Merlin ÀYH DQG VHYHQ NLORV RI VDUGLQHV UHG PXOOHWV DQG RWKHU
ÀVKHV =HLG VHOOV KLV FDWFK WR SDVVHUV E\ DORQJ WKH VHD
attractions in the UK. The for a sum varying between 20 and 40 shekels, or about
initiative – which will run 4 to 9 euros. But he says his impact on the environment
until mid-October – follows is more important than anything else.
research by Coca-Cola which
reveals that 64% of Britons “This boat is made from empty plastic bottles. I have
would recycle more if they other ideas for all the empty bottles thrown by people
were rewarded instantly for their actions. on the beaches, I hope to use these empty bottles to
save the environment”, Zeid said. His only tools include
At present, just 43% of the 13bn plastic bottles sold each JOXH ROG ÀVKLQJ QHWV DQG D ZRRGHQ ERDUG WR PDNH
year in the UK are recycled, and 700,000 are littered every the plastic boat. Zeid said his boat can accomodate 8
day. Pressure is growing on the government, retailers and people . “The maximum distance I can travel with this
consumers to increase rates of plastic bottle recycling boat is 1.5 to 2 kilometres, because it’s a paddle boat
and cut marine pollution. In March, the environment DQG LW·V YHU\ WLULQJ , ÀVK ZLWK KRRNV EHFDXVH , FDQ·W
secretary, Michael Gove, announced plans to launch a
ÀQG D SODFH WR EX\ QHWV DQG ÀVKLQJ JHDU LQ *D]Dµ KH
mandatory deposit system for bottles and cans in the UK, said. The Gaza Strip, controlled by the Islamist Hamas
DOWKRXJK GHWDLOV DUH VWLOO EHLQJ ZRUNHG RXW ´:H ZDQW WR movement, has been subjected to a severe Israeli land
reward people for doing the right thing by recycling their and sea blockade for more than a decade. This has led
bottles and hope to encourage some people who wouldn’t to increased unemployment rate estimated at 45%, with
RWKHUZLVH KDYH GRQH VR µ VDLG -RQ :RRGV JHQHUDO PDQDJHU 80% of the two million inhabitants dependent on aid,
of Coca-Cola UK & Ireland. “All of our bottles can be DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH :RUOG %DQN 7KLV ZHHN WKH 'HIHQVH
recycled and we want to get as many of them back as Minister authorized the complete re-opening of Kerem
possible so they can be turned into new bottles and not Shalom, the only transit terminal for goods between
end up as litter.” the Hebrew state and the Gaza Strip.

41 August 2018 Plastics News