"The Ocean Cleanup" cleans up the sea

Large quantities of plastic waste, trillions of pieces of plastic, are floating in our oceans. They are not only harmful to the flora and fauna of the world's oceans, but also to humans. Dutchman Boyan Slat is launching a unique project called "The Ocean Cleanup" and is now cleaning up the seas. That's a good thing, we think!

Everyone has probably seen the pictures. Large plastic carpets are floating on the oceans. Plastic, once such a great and extremely durable product, has become a plague and a danger to our oceans. The plastic floats on the surface, animals die in the swirls of rubbish or die from eating plastic. Large pieces of plastic break down into microplastics, enter the food chain along with toxic substances produced during the decomposition process and ultimately end up on our plates.

Far too much plastic ends up in the environment - with devastating consequences / © Dustan Woodhouse

A brilliant idea to save the oceans

When Boyan Slat found more plastic than fish and other creatures while diving on holiday in 2011, he tried to find a solution to the waste problem. In 2012, after graduating from high school, the Dutchman presented his idea at a

conference in Delft. Until then, removing waste from the oceans had either not been considered or was considered impossible. There was not even any precise information about the exact size of the litter in the oceans. It was clear that removing the rubbish with ships and nets was not a solution. This would require considerable effort, cause many emissions and pose a danger to flora and fauna.

Ocean Cleanup declares war on plastic in the sea / ® The Ocean Cleanup

Boyan Slat therefore decided in favour of a passive system to clean up the oceans. The inventor met with a lot of criticism. The feasibility and functionality of the project was questioned, as was its environmental friendliness. In 2014, he presented a study in New York and showed the world that "The Ocean Cleanup" was feasible in every respect.

Boyan Slat 2018 during the test run of the Ocean Cleanup System / ® The Ocean Cleanup

What is "The Ocean Cleanup"?

There are a total of five large waste whirlpools in the world's oceans. "The Ocean Cleanup" utilises these whirlpools for its own purposes. Instead of pulling large nets through the whirlpools to catch the rubbish, the wind, waves and currents now drive the rubbish into the filter system.

In principle, the system consists of huge floating fishing arms with a curtain of very fine netting hanging three metres deep into the water. This is long enough to filter the waste, but does not produce any by-catch, as fish and other animals can swim underneath it.

The Ocean Cleanup works like a sieve / © The Ocean Cleanup

Due to the U-shape of the system, the plastic floats along the arms, is caught and then retrieved from the water. The system with lights, cameras, sensors and satellite antennas is self-powered by solar energy and the force of currents and waves. The CO2 footprint of the entire system is equivalent to that of a few hundred cars. The collected plastic is either recycled or can be converted into oil. This

shows how the Ocean Cleanup works.

A net in the shape of a horseshoe collects plastic waste in the sea / © The Ocean Cleanup

The clean-up has begun

On 8 September 2018, "The Ocean Cleanup System 001" was sent on its way from San Francisco Bay to the North Pacific. This is where the so-called "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" is located, the largest rubbish patch in the world's oceans. It is almost as big as Europe.

Boyan Slat during the test run in San Francisco Bay in September 2018 / © The Ocean Cleanup

The system is now in its test phase there. If the test is a success, it would be possible to reduce the North Pacific rubbish patch by half within five years with just 60 systems. But even if there is now probably a solution to the plastic problem, it is ultimately up to each and every one of us to avoid plastic as much as possible.

There is still hope for plastic-free oceans / © The Ocean Cleanup

You can find lots of exciting tips for a life without waste in our blog post Don't throw it in the bin and in our "Bright Minds" interview with zero waste blogger Shia Su.

Autorin: Nina Ryschawy

<div class="copyrights">photo in header © The Ocean Cleanup</div>