By Siel

Remember JUNK, the raft made out of trash (plastic bottles and part of an old airplane) that safely sailed 2,100 miles from LA to Hawaii last year? In their never-ending quest to raise awareness about the effect of disposable plastics in our oceans, the folks behind JUNK are gearing up for a new challenge: A very long bike ride. (At right: Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins gear up for JUNKride. Photo: Paul Scott)

Dr. Marcus Eriksen, one of the JUNK rafters, and Anna Cummins, environmental educator for Algalita Marine Research Foundation, will kick off the JUNKride on April 4th at the Vancouver Aquarium in Canada, biking down the west coast to finish in Tijuana, Mexico in June. Throughout the trip, the pair will brake for educational events, focusing on the impact of plastic pollution on human health.

“Plastic particles at sea absorb toxic chemicals, like PCBs and DDT,” Cummins says. “We know fish are eating it, and we know chemicals bioaccumulate up the food chain. The question now is, are these chemicals that stick to plastics getting into our food?”

The trip won’t be all work though; the duo will get hitched spontaneously during the ride, marrying romance to enviro-activism. Follow the JUNK blog to find out when the bike brigade will be rolling through your town.