From sailing vlogger to environmentalist: Nike Steiger on her recycling project

Kristina Müller

· 03.01.2024

From sailing vlogger to environmentalist: Nike Steiger on her recycling project

Photo: InMocean

The fight against plastic waste: Steiger collecting washed-up fishing nets in Ecuador

Anyone who lives at anchor on board quickly realises when more and more rubbish is floating in the bay. At least that's how Nike Steiger felt when she moved to her Reinke "Karl" in Panama years ago and experienced marine pollution first hand. The woman from Lüneburg, who became famous with her YouTube channel "White Sport Pirates", founded the "InMocean" initiative so as not to be idle. She is committed to the processing of plastic waste in Central America

YACHT: Nike, when did it click for you that you wanted to do something?

Nike Steiger:I saw more and more plastic lying on the beaches, which really shocked me. I started picking it up. When you live on a boat, you think more about consumption - of electricity, water and also plastic. In the end, I founded the "InMocean" initiative with a friend, with which we are committed to the fight against plastic waste.

How do you do that?

In the beginning, we organised beach clean-ups. Then we built machines based on an open-source template with which you can shred your own cleaned plastic waste and mould it into new products - even on board!

But that's not all, is it?

No, our aim is to build infrastructure in remote coastal regions that enables locals to collect plastic waste and process and sell it into household products such as bowls, furniture or lamps. In this way, we want to raise awareness of old plastic as a resource and promote its reuse.

Does that work?

Yes, the third workspace is currently being set up in Mexico. The donated recycling machines have already arrived. Everything is still funded by donations. We are working with local organisations that are anchored and motivated on the ground.

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Is only marine litter washed ashore used?

There are two sources: firstly, plastic collected on the beach. But also household plastics, which are not recycled at all in the Central American regions where we are travelling. They are incinerated or thrown away. We work with polypropylene and polythene. This is shredded, heated and remoulded.

What role does the recycling fleet you set up play in this?

The fleet consists of a total of seven yachts of sailing vloggers, including myself, who are travelling to different parts of the world, holding workshops for locals with the recycling machines and creating reach for the topic via their YouTube channels. In this way, we want to kill two birds with one stone.

We want to raise awareness of old plastic as a resource and promote its reuse"

Does the concept work?

In the first year, 55 workshops were organised in eight countries. People experience how a new product is created from waste. You can tell that this has a real "aha" effect on people's minds. Children in particular queue up. It's cool to see how the new knowledge they've gained becomes ingrained in them. The next time they go to the beach, they shout: "Nike, you can make something out of this!" That's great. For the adults, it's more the financial incentive of being able to sell the products. For example, in the form of jewellery for tourists.

Do you make sure you consume less plastic yourself?

I don't live plastic-free, that's difficult. But I don't buy new clothes, for example. And I also try to repair electronic devices instead of buying new ones. Fortunately, as a sailor you have the opportunity to travel with a relatively small carbon footprint. However, the recycling project has also changed my perception a little.

In what way?

When you have a machine like this on board, you get a new perspective on beach rubbish. I see a piece and think, that's a pretty turquoise colour - what you could do with it!(laughs)

Further topics in the sustainability special:

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