The aim of the project was to highlight this issue of plastic waste in the seas.

Project leader David de Rothschild said it was an incredible feeling to finally arrive in Sydney after the 128 crossing.

"We had great faith in the design and construction of Plastiki and while many people doubted we'd make it, we have proved that a boat made from plastic bottles can stand up to the harsh conditions of the Pacific."

De Rothschild hailed the crew's efforts to raise the issue of plastic waste.

"If there's waste, it's badly designed in the first place and we need to start to take a serious look at the way we produce and design every product we use in our lives," he said.

The 8,000-mile journey was completed in four legs: San Francisco – Kiribati – Western Samoa – New Caledonia – Australia.