The first prototype was piloted in 2016, and its creators say the system now grabs plastic debris from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – the largest accumulation zone of plastic in the world’s oceans floating between the West Coast of North America and Japan.
Now the Ocean Cleanup has 1,000 of the world’s most polluting rivers in its sights, which are thought to be responsible for about 80% of ocean plastic pollution.
“To truly rid the oceans of plastic, we need to both clean up the legacy and close the tap, preventing more plastic from reaching the oceans in the first place,” says Boyan. “Combining our ocean cleanup technology with the Interceptor, the solutions now exist to address both sides of the equation.”