The non-profit organization Ocean Cleanup has gone through a few prototype devices that didn’t quite get the results needed for a successful cleanup operation. But the latest version has successfully removed 20,000 pounds of plastic in its first trial run.
The trial run took place in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch off the coast of California, and even Boyan Slat, the founder of Ocean Cleanup, was amazed by the results.
Business Insider had a recent report that highlighted some of the technical details.
“The installation is essentially an artificial floating coastline that catches plastic in its fold like a giant arm, then funnels the garbage into a woven funnel-shaped net. Two vessels tow it through the water at about 1.5 knots (slower than normal walking speed), and the ocean current pushes floating garbage toward the giant net.”
The great thing about this new device is that it might only take ten of these to clean up the area of the Pacific by 2040. With the right level of further funding, this could become an essential part of transforming the Oceans.
And all the plastic is currently being recycled into frames for glasses, so it’s not even filling up landfills.
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