Garbage Ahoy! Bon Voyage, Plastiki!
March 15, 2010 by Simla
Delicious Health founder Simla Somturk Wickless serves as pro bono nutritionist for the Plastiki crew.
February brought a fantastic opportunity for me to serve as the pro bono nutritionist for the Plastiki crew. A big thanks to our friends at Cook! SF for making the introduction.
What is the Plastiki?
The Plastiki is a 60-foot catamaran made from 12,500 reclaimed plastic bottles. It will sail from San Francisco to Sydney this month (March 2010), weather permitting, to bring attention to the world’s wasteful use of resources as well as to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, estimated to be about twice the size of Texas – the world’s largest “land”fill.
The Nutrition Challenge
How does one feed a highly physically active crew of 7 with limited resources – no electricity, limited storage space, and no refrigeration? Well, we had to figure it out.
I provided the nutritional guidelines they need to follow on a daily basis along with recipes and supplement recommendations to round out their nutritional intake on this long journey across the Pacific. I was but a small part of this true team and community effort.
Many other volunteers came together to source, collect, pre-cook and dehydrate foods such as meats and vegetables. Vendors from around the San Francisco Bay Area provided food supplies. I’m happy to report that the crew’s diet as planned is very well rounded and built largely around whole foods. At the end of the day, the Plastiki crew will be eating more healthfully than probably 99% of the population in the U.S.!
My Visit Onboard
I got to visit the Plastiki recently, which was super fun. The crew and volunteers I met were super friendly and passionate about
Simla on board the Plastiki
what they’re doing.
The teeny weeny kitchen inside was well designed (not surprisingly) and I believe it had more counter space than my kitchen.
They’ll also have a hydroponic garden onboard to grow their own veggies! Click here for more info about how a fresh produce garden will be supported on the Plastiki.
What’s Next for the Plastiki?
Well, the actual journey, of course. The Plastiki was christened following a Polynesian ceremony recently and is getting ready for her voyage. Follow them here!
Many supporters continue to cheer on the Plastiki crew in their efforts to bring much-needed attention to this growing, dirty problem (pun intended) that threatens the health of our oceans and more. We can no longer make like ostriches and bury our heads in the proverbial sand.
Keep an eye out for the documentary to follow on National Geographic - how cool is that?!
What You Can Do to Get Involved and Make a Difference
Wondering how you can get involved? Find out more here.
