In One Ear: Renewed confidence

Dutch entrepreneur Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, has always dreamed of cleaning up the Pacific Ocean’s enormous Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Just in time for Earth Day, The Ocean Cleanup announced it has removed 22 million pounds of trash and plastic from the world’s rivers and oceans. That’s more than the weight of the Eiffel Tower, which is 20.2 million pounds.

System 03 is used to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It consists of a long, U-shaped barrier that traps plastic and debris as the barrier is pulled through the water slowly by two ships, one on either end. The ships collect the plastic gathered, which is brought back to shore for recycling.

For rivers, The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptor has been used in eight countries, and more are being added this year. There are several versions, all of which trap river plastic and debris, which is later picked up for processing.

“While we still have a long way to go,” Slat said, “our recent successes fill us with renewed confidence that the oceans can be cleaned.”