World’s largest plastic waste pyramid lands in Egypt

By Dean Murray via SWNS

The world’s largest plastic waste pyramid was revealed in Egypt on Thursday, November 3.

Unveiled ahead of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheik, the structure is ten meters (32 feet) tall, 12 meters (39 feet) wide, and made from 18,000 kilograms (39,683 pounds) of Nile River trash.

Erected in Egypt’s Western Desert, just outside Cairo, the immense structure took five days to build and features the equivalent of one million  plastic water bottles and trash.

The unveiling marks the beginning of a movement called the 100YR CLEANUP - an initiative led by zero-waste company Zero Co and mission-led wine The Hidden Sea.

It seeks to fund large-scale trash clean-ups for the next 100 years and drive accountability for the single-use plastic problem.

The world’s largest plastic waste pyramid has been revealed in Egypt . (100YR CLEANUP via SWNS)

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The campaign allows consumers to sponsor the removal of “bundles of trash,” while businesses can contribute funds towards the initiative.

To mark the launch of 100YR CLEANUP, founder Mike Smith will camp out on top of pyramid for three days to call for support from people and businesses to join the movement.

“We can’t fix the plastic problem alone, but we can give everyone the ability to take action," he said.

"By working together with businesses, industry leaders and inviting the public to take direct action, we’ll be able to build a scalable solution to the problem and have a huge impact.”

Justin Moran, founder of The Hidden Sea, a wine company taking plastic out of the ocean every time a bottle is bought, said: “Despite its epic size, the pyramid shows just a fraction of what is an incredible crisis."

The Hidden Sea said they have removed 18 million plastic bottles from the ocean so far.

"This demonstrates that consumers simply need a clear way to be part of the solution," Moran said.

"This COP27, our message is clear. It’s time to draw a line in the sand and change how we manage the crisis. Those who have the ability, have the responsibility."

Zero Co and The Hidden Sea aim to raise $1,000,000 for the 100YR CLEANUP over the next 12 months, which they say will remove 15 million water bottles worth of rubbish and drive the initiative’s mission year on year, for the next 100 years. 

“We want to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to experience untouched wilderness in all its powerful forces. Whilst we inherit this planet from our ancestors, we also borrow it from our children," Smith said. 

By sponsoring the 100YR CLEANUP and buying a bundle of trash, individuals and businesses can contribute to future cleanups around the world.

With sufficient funding, the team say they can build full-time teams in South-East-Asia and Australia cleaning the planet "5 days a week, every week, every year, for the next 100 years."

The Nile River cleanup event is in partnership with VeryNile, an organization based in Cairo that cleans up the banks of the Nile and interlaces social and environmental impact to remove inorganic waste from the river.

The plastic waste pyramid has been built in collaboration with VeryNile, Egyptian Artist Bahia Shehab.