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Plastic Bottle Kayak @ MYD Youth Week 2015 Awards

Plastic Bottle Kayak @ MYD Youth Week 2015 Awards

The Youth Week 2015 awards were held on the 26th of May at Parliament this week, with University of Auckland student Florence Reynolds picking up two awards for her involvement in plastic-free initiatives.

The 22 year-old environmental change-maker was awarded a Young Leader Award this year for her work with Plastic Diet, a youth organisation which she spearheads in Auckland. Florence also picked up a Group Leadership Award with her team from Plastic Bottle Kayak project, which brought together 22 young leaders from around New Zealand, including widely-acclaimed musician and ocean-enthusiast Jamie McDell.


The Plastic Bottle Kayak project involved a 3-day adventure paddling the Abel Tasman National Park in kayaks constructed from upcycled plastic bottles. The expedition, which took place in March this year, set out to promote sustainability and waste reduction in New Zealand, through capturing the journey on film and sharing this nationwide. The project incorporated an educational programme which has reached over 2500 students from around New Zealand.

The Abel Tasman journey follows on from a previous expedition where the group paddled hand-crafted plastic bottle kayaks 100km down the Whanganui River, to showcase the beauty of the New Zealand environment, and why we need to protect it.

Florence says that there is an exciting yet demanding future ahead for both organisations. “Plastic pollution is a critical issue that affects all aspects of our life. It is an issue of health, economics and design, as much as it is environmental. At the end of the day, why would you design something to be used once, out of a material that will last forever?”

The awards, distributed by Minister of Youth Nikki Kaye, recognise “the amazing contributions and achievement of young people in New Zealand. This year's themeWe are the future / Kō tātau te ao o āpōpō affirms the role of young people in shaping the future of our communities. Youth Week is coordinated by Ara Taiohi with the support of the Ministry of Youth Development.”(1)

ENDS


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