The kayakers paddling for plastic in hard to reach places

Kayak litter picker microplastic series.
A new 'Paddle for Plastic' scheme sees litter collected and recycled to create more kayaks that can be used to remove rubbish from the coast. Credit: Odyssey Innovation

A tiny, deserted cove with views of Devon's rolling hills might sound like an idyllic place to spend a morning.

But if you look a little closer, things at Kingsbridge Estuary are not as perfect as they first seem.

Old toothbrushes, coat hangers, lighters and used fishing gear litter the coastline. And, despite being far from any cafes and only accessible via kayak, coffee cups are strewn across its shingles.

None of this plastic will biodegrade. Instead it will break up into smaller and smaller pieces.

These microplastics then make their way into our ecosystem - and even our food chain - when they are eaten by birds, fish and other wildlife.

But one organisation, Odyssey Innovation, is trying to change that. The firm takes plastic collected at beach cleans or gathered by community groups, as well as waste from harbours and recycles it.

Kayakers are now going to hard-to-reach spots of the coastline to pick up litter. Credit: Odyssey Innovation

It has now started to 'Paddle for Plastics' - using kayaks to remove tonnes of litter from parts of the coast that are otherwise impossible to reach.

"It came about quite naturally as we were finding all this plastic," Claire, from Odyssey, told ITV News.

"We realised there were a lot of coves that you can't access by walking, so you have to access them another way.

"Even with a boat, you sometimes can't pull up onto shallow shores. So we realised kayaks would be perfect because you can pull up anywhere and take plastic away on them."

Odyssey collects tonnes of plastic waste, including fishing nets, and recycles it - often creating new products like kayaks and handplanes. Credit: Odyssey Innovation

The group find all kinds of plastic waste, but ropes, nets, polystrene, plastic bottle tops and cans are the most common.

"Anything plastic you can think of, I feel like we've found," Claire said.

"It kind of becomes a bit of a treasure hunt. Not necessarily a good treasure hunt," she added. "But at least you know it's being removed and hopefully repurposed, or at least removed from the shoreline."

It is easy for the group to pick up the larger items that wash up, but microplastics prove trickier to clear.

Picking up a handful of driftwood, Gary Jolliffe told ITV News: "In amongst all this natural material, there are thousands of pieces of microplastic.

  • Watch as Gary uncovers hundreds of pieces of plastic in one tiny spot of coastline

"You've got nurdles - the base of all moulded plastics. That's how they get transported, the little circular nurdles.

"There are literally hundreds of particles of plastics mixed in amongst this natural material - and as you dig down you start finding more of it. This is what it's like on every stretch of the coastline all around the UK and dare I say all around the globe."

Odyssey has so far collected 22 tonnes of plastic and other waste from the South Devon Coast using its kayaks.

The plastic Odyssey collects is recycled into small pieces of plastic like these before being made into new items. Credit: Odyssey Innovation

The items are then repurposed - with some of it even being used to create new kayaks which can be used to remove more litter.

"It's quite special that it's fully circular," Claire said. "It also helps lots of community groups across the South West to help them get to harder to reach places.

"It's a shame there is so much rubbish around, but it's also amazing that people can get to these places now and clear these plastics."

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