With all the bad news (as usual) being featured in the mainstream news about ocean pollution, all in the name of Climate Change scaremongering, it’s good to know about something that, if it lives up to it’s promise, is positively wonderful: The Ocean Cleanup!
Trash accumulates in 5 ocean garbage patches, the largest one being the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California. If left to circulate, the plastic will impact our ecosystems, health and economies.
By late 2017, The Ocean Cleanup aims to launch the first operational pilot system in Pacific waters. It will represent the most important milestone on the road to the full-scale cleanup and is the culmination of years of preparation.
The pilot is not just one test – it should be viewed as a “testing platform”, with which dozens of tests can be performed, iterating the system until it operates as intended.
Watch the video where Boyan Slat explains the road towards the pilot, as well as recent changes to our design in the context of a very special presentation held on May 11th 2017:
Find out more about our system design our technology page.
THE IMPACT OF CLEANUP
Our models indicate that a full-scale system roll-out could clean up 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 5 years.
Research shows the majority of plastic by mass is currently in the larger debris. By removing the plastic while most of it is still large, we prevent it from breaking down into dangerous microplastics.
Combining the cleanup with source reduction on land paves the road towards a plastic free ocean by 2050.
Read More at The Ocean Cleanup’s site:
https://www.theoceancleanup.com/