IF you’re familiar with Ed Gold’s work, you’ll know that he is used to highlighting off-the-grid people.

Ed, 53, is an experienced documentary photographer and photo essayist who lives in a tent while exploring communities living in remote areas.

His latest project takes him back to Ukraine where he plans to meet Wayne Zschech, an Australian-born Christian minister who is turning plastic waste into fuel to make electricity.

Ed, who will be travelling to Kaharlyk despite the FCDO advising against all travel to Ukraine, intends to feature this story in Positive Futures, his self-published magazine.

He added: “In May I am returning to Europe for more material for the magazine and will ride my motorcycle to Ukraine to document an Australian Christian minister who has access to a secret supply of 50,000 tons of plastic waste which he turns into fuel for electricity, known as 'pyrolsis'”.

However, Ed requires sponsorship to make this trip possible and started a GoFundMe page for donations.

He explained: “I would like to raise money for my journey there and also to give the majority of funds raised to this minister to help him and his community create more machines to create fuel, and to help them in their day-to-day lives.

“This story is important for the magazine because it will show strength and hope in a war-torn country and also a solution for how to deal with plastic waste.

"Harnessing waste to empower environmental and community transformation where the need is greatest."

Zschech has lived in Ukraine since his late teens and raised a family there.

Ed said: “It’s a fascinating story because the world has a big problem with plastic waste and this addresses two issues, it deals with plastic waste and also makes a power as an alternative to creating new fossil fuels, it’s recycling.”

According to Ed, Zschech works with Kaharlyk’s mayor and helps his community however he can.

He added: “It’s obviously a war zone also so his work is especially significant.

“I asked him what it was like where he is living and he told me nine people had been killed in their sleep just 20 kms away, the night before we video chatted about my visit.

“I asked what I can bring out for him and he said crinkle cut salt and vinegar crisps and ginger beer, so I will see how much I can carry on my motorcycle for him.

“Whilst I am there, maybe up to 3 months, I will help as much as I can and he needs people to weld, which I can do, to make more ‎plastic pyrolysis machines. It’s important to me, not just to document what he is doing but to help also.”

This is far from the first expedition story Ed has taken on.

In 2009, he rode a motorcycle from New York City to Denver to Fairbanks in Alaska, a trip which took 12 days and 6,000 miles.

Between 2010 and 2011, he was also embedded with the Colchester-based 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment in their last tour of Afghanistan.