Vaidehi Bhargava
The next phase involves building and testing large-scale operational pilots, set to begin once sufficient funding is secured.
The conclusions of the study signify the completion of the project’s initial phase, during which the belief that cleaning up the notorious ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ is impossible has been challenged. The findings suggest that nearly half of the plastic could be removed within a decade.
Over the past few decades, millions of tons of plastic have entered the oceans, harming ecosystems and infiltrating food chains. “I first became aware of the plastic pollution problem while diving in Greece, where I encountered more plastic bags than fish. Unfortunately, plastic doesn’t disappear on its own. This made me wonder: why can’t we clean it up?” states Boyan Slat, who founded The Ocean Cleanup Foundation.
Historically, cleanup efforts have been viewed as unattainable, requiring billions of dollars and taking thousands of years to complete. Additionally, the bycatch and emissions from ships could potentially negate the benefits. “I thought, why move through the oceans when the oceans can move through you? By anchoring a system of long floating arms to the seabed, the oceans could effectively clean themselves.” The 530-page report, which has undergone peer review, concludes that this method is both technically and financially feasible.
How It Works
Slat’s approach harnesses natural ocean currents and winds to passively direct plastic toward a collection platform. Instead of relying on nets and vessels to extract the plastic, solid floating barriers are employed to eliminate the risk of entangling marine life. By implementing the proposed system for a decade, it is estimated that almost half of the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch could be removed.
Next Steps
To bridge the gap between the study’s results and the complete implementation of the concept, a series of upscaling tests is necessary, ultimately leading to a large-scale operational pilot. To reduce costs, The Ocean Cleanup will facilitate the research, outsourcing much of the fundamental work to research institutions and collaborating with offshore and engineering companies to cover the majority of expenses. Following this approach, The Ocean Cleanup is currently seeking $2 million for the next phase, which will be funded through a new crowdfunding campaign.
Boyan Slat emphasizes, “While a cleanup would have a significant impact, it is only part of the solution. We also need to stop the flow of plastic to prevent any more from entering the oceans in the first place.”