Plastic Island

Plans have been revealed for a new island in the North Pacific Gyre which could accommodate up to half a million people. Netherlands-based firm WHIM Architecture has designed the floating island to be manufactured out of 44,000 tonnes of waste plastic currently drifting on our seas, turning an environmental hazard on its head to create a fully sustainable, self-sufficient island the size of Hawaii.

Named ‘Recycled Island’, the project involves a complex fabrication process in order to make washed-up plastic refuse into an effective building substance. The WHIM’s website outlines the following method: collecting discarded plastic from the Pacific Ocean; separating the plastic into groups according to type; shredding the material followed by a thorough cleaning process; heating the plastic; reproduction into a functional building material; constructing the island – here images show the entire island being pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle; the assembly of plastic housing.