The World's Largest Plastic Waste Pyramid Has Landed in the Egyptian Desert

The world's largest plastic waste pyramid has been revealed in Egypt today ahead of COP2 y7 in Sharm el-Sheik. 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 clean ups for the next 100 years and drive accountability for the single-use plastic problem.

Erected in Egypt's Western Desert, just outside of Cairo, the immense structure took five days to build, weighs a whopping 20 tons, is taller than a three-story building, and is made using the equivalent of 1 million plastic water bottles  collected from the Nile River.*

In a strike of collective action, consumers can sponsor the removal of "bundles of trash" while businesses can be part of the game-changing initiative by contributing funds towards the initiative.

Justin Moran, founder of The Hidden Sea, is a wine company removing plastic from 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. Powered by wine drinkers, The Hidden Sea has 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. 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."

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

100YR CLEANUP founder, Mike Smith, said: "We can't fix the plastic problem alone, but we can give everyone the ability to take action. 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."

Zero Co and The Hidden Sea aim to raise $1,000,000 for the 100YR CLEANUP over the next 12 months, which 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," continued Mike Smith.

By sponsoring the 100YR CLEANUP and buying a bundle of rubbish, individuals and businesses can contribute to future cleanups around the world. With sufficient funding, the team hopes to 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.