DITCH the plastic and go for stainless steel.  That's the word from mayor Bob Harvey who's throwing his weight behind a new product about to hit the market.

Waitemata Harbour Clean-Up Trust chief executive officer Hayden Smith has secured the rights to sell Ecousable stainless steel bottles in New Zealand.

He's hoping people will use them instead of plastic and plans to put the proceeds from his venture back into the trust which was established in 2002 to tidy up the harbour and its tributaries.

Mr Harvey, well-known for his efforts to get rid of plastic shopping bags, is a big fan.

"The trust collects thousands of bottles every week floating in the rocks of Rangitoto Island and the breakwaters of the harbour," he says.

"This is about creating a future where plastic isn't being hauled from our harbours by the tonne, where water is managed sustainably, water infrastructure is prioritised and people think about what they are drinking.

"We're hoping to make a dent in the use of single use plastic bottles and are optimistic that with the support of our retailers we can start turning the tide in favour of this reusable alternative."

The bottles will be imported from China in three different sizes to go on sale in September.

The trust has recovered 2.2 million litres of plastic waste from the region's waterways since it was started.

Mr Smith saw first-hand the problems created by plastic waste after visiting the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, 1600 kilometres north of Hawaii.

The area is made up of discarded junk brought together by ocean currents to create a mass of floating trash that some reports say is the size of Texas.

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Article Source: www.stuff.co.nz
Article By: Stephen Forbes