The specter of plastic pollution has loomed large for decades. But now, The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit dedicated to reducing ocean plastic, has achieved a remarkable milestone — 25,000 pounds of garbage collected in just four weeks using their System 002.
Originally designed to skim the surface of waters, the 875-yard system trawled the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the “largest patch of floating trash” located between Hawaii and California. Twice the size of Texas, the patch is a collection of five large patches across the world.
Using two ships to link the net, the recovery team onboard was tasked with the sorting of plastic waste. Those items that could be recycled were, and the organization has built partnerships with other companies to put the remaining waste to use. The mission of The Ocean Cleanup is to reduce global ocean plastic by 90% by 2040, a goal they are now on track to meet.
In addition to the collecting plastic from the ocean, The Ocean Cleanup has constructed “interceptors” and trash fences along rivers worldwide, as well as leveraging AI and other technologies to combat the plastic pollution problem.
The success of The Ocean Cleanup’s System 002 marks a crucial step forward in restoring our oceans. As they continue their ambitious mission, we can all do our part to reduce plastic waste and meet this global goal.
With information from My Modern Met
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