Ambitious Project Begins In The Pacific To Remove 88,000 Tons Of Plastic

The Ocean Cleanup Project has launched an ambitious project to remove up to 88,000 tons of plastic that’s floating in the Pacific, the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” to be precise. It has started towing the Ocean Cleanup System 001 from San Francisco to a trial site that’s about 260 miles from shore.

Once the System 001 arrives at the site, it will be pushed into a U-shape by the wind and waves as it drifts along slowly on its own. A 10 foot skirt will hang below to pick up the pieces of plastic which may be as small as a millimeter. Smaller boats will come in later to retrieve the garbage and transport it to shore for recycling.

The system will be monitored extensively during its two week trial to ensure that it does what it’s supposed to do without harming plakton and other marine life. “We’re trying to solve an environmental problem so we need to make sure we don’t create a bigger problem in its place,” said Ocean Cleanup’s Joost Dubois, adding that “We want to catch plastic, not fish.”

After the trial, the System 001 will then be transported another 900 nautical miles for its main mission to clean the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It will then be monitored there by crews who will be on site for six months. The ultimate aim is to ensure that the system can do its job autonomously without harming any marine life.

Adnan Farooqui
Categories: Green