THE OCEAN CLEANUP SCHEDULES GIANT ANTI-PLASTIC OPERATION TO BEGIN IN 2020

Exciting updates regarding Boyan Slat's innovative project

Two years ago, we presented the revolutionary project of then-19-year-old Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat: a floating wall to passively collect garbage in the ocean. Much has happened in the span of two years. More specifically, the project is close to becoming a reality. Now called The Ocean Cleanup, the first real implementation of Slat’s idea is scheduled to begin in 2020. It will be world’s largest ocean cleanup operation and will start by tackling the “Great Pacific garbage patch” with the ambitious goal of collecting at least 70,000 tons of plastic within a ten year span. Currently, the “Great Pacific garbage patch” consists of five of “plastic currents” (gyres), covering surfaces as large as continents.

Slat argues that conventional ocean cleaning methods, such as nets pulled by ships, last too long and are unaffordable for mankind. In contrast, his idea consists of a floating wall placed right inside the current. The technology that Slat developed cooperatively with scientists and engineers from all over the world consists of two 50-kilometer-long floating barriers with nets below. The plastic pieces are supposed to be pushed towards those filters by the currents. Fish and other sea life however, should be able to dive underneath the nets which are only a few meters deep. The aim is to gather the plastic masses in a container platform in the center of the V-shaped array, where they should be stored until regular collection with ships.

Critics argue that the project, which gained worldwide attention through social media and crowdfunding activity, will not succeed due to storms, the construction’s instability and further incalculable risks. However, recent tests seem to confirm the solidity of the design. Learn more about the project by visiting the site.