Plastic-Cleaning Machine Set To Tackle Great Pacific Garbage Patch

[doitvoluntarily]

There are 5 different areas in the world that are said to be the main locations where ocean currents eventually concentrate plastic particles.

The largest of those is believed to be the Great Pacific garbage patch, or North Pacific Gyre.

And one teen who has been working on this dream of cleaning the ocean for several years now, will soon be launching his full cleanup system; he hopes will be able to tackle the floating garbage worldwide.

Dutch inventor and entrepreneur Boyan Slat is the one behind The Ocean Cleanup project and he's devised a system of trash-collecting booms that are expected to be launched in the next few months.

Collecting 50 percent of the garbage in 5 years

Slat hopes that within only 5 years that they will be able to collect at least 50 percent of the garbage that makes up the Pacific Garbage Patch. Their current effort is said to be the first of its kind that has sought to try and tackle the garbage patch and experts suggest that it might even be able to collect 40k metric tons or more within just 5 years time.

Slat gave a TED talk more than 5 years ago, titled How the Oceans Can Clean Themselves, and he's been working on trying to fulfill his dream of cleaning-up the ocean ever since, despite many naysayers along the way.

The total cost of the endeavor, for collecting trash over the next 5 years, is estimated to be somewhere around $320 million.

And there are dozens of people who have been working on the project along with Slat. Those behind the project have already been successful in managing to raise tens of millions of dollars from investors, including PayPal founder and billionaire Peter Thiel, to help them move forward.

This is the year that they hope will prove their vision a success.

Eventually, with all of that plastic that they collect out of the ocean, they want to then recycle it so that it can be used for producing things like chairs, eyeglasses, car bumpers, and other items.

Pics:
via earthDecks
pixabay

Sources:



https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/6119743/worlds-first-ocean-plastic-cleaning-machine-to-gobble-up-great-pacific-garbage-patch/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_garbage_patch https://www.fastcompany.com/40419899/boy-genius-boyan-slats-giant-ocean-cleanup-machine-is-real https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ocean-plastic-cleanup-machine-great-pacific-garbage-patch-launch-boyan-slat-a8317226.html

Comments

[keithboone]

Nice to hear some good news for a change!

[cjclaro]

It's about time. Most environmentalists focus on animals, forest, melting glaciers which are entirely important on their own respect but cleaning the ocean has been neglected probably because we are not on it most of the time.

This boy genius must have loved the ocean and saw what's going on. He takes his stand. Acts on a solution and follow through with it. If we have ten of these caring young people there is no doubt we shall live better lives than we are living now. Thanks for sharing, @doitvoluntarily. Have a great day.

[jlufer]

thank you very much dear friend for sharing this news
I wish you a great daythis is a great news dear friend @doitvoluntarily, I have seen many videos of disasters that cause plastic in the rivers, seas and oceans, but if we want to eradicate this problem we must educate people with the recilcado and the use of pbc bottles

[johnniec]

Let's hope it works! I have some experience with attempting to collect trash from polluted waterways using booms and I can tell you it is difficult to collect only trash. I'm guessing lots of living things that are growing on or living around this trash will be collected (and killed). Probably still a net plus for the environment, but hard to do perfectly. With all the places banning plastic bags and straws and the new developments in plastic degrading enzymes and organisms, I have hope we will be able to make great progress tackling the plastic pollution problem in the coming years.

[souldelas]

Cientists have already developed an enzime that degenerate plastic naturaly. The problem is solved. ;)

[rizasukma]

That's a very good idea. Thank you for sharing a very useful article. Good luck always for you @doitvoluntarily.

[zaimrofiqi]

Great news...!
This problem has become a concern of many parties, not least in Indonesia ...
Many beaches which are nice and beautiful now damaged by plastics.
So, let's together support this very good and useful program ... ❤

[cecirod1218]

Thank god about this is very much needed. I was in Cancun on the Caribbean and add I was swimming a piece of plastic got in my bathing suit and as I was riding a wave a two liter bottle of come grazed me its horrible. How are you doing my friend? I'm back I have been in intensive care

[andrewagostini]

A reporter on this BBC podcast on plastic said that there's absolutely no way we'll reverse the plastic problem - even if we could capture it all process for converting it into something useful (even back into fuel) are limited. It's eye popping just how much of the stuff we consume

[andrewagostini]

Honestly though, the way to fix a problem is not to say It'll be good for earth but turn it into an economic argument... "Think of all the money/industry that will be lost of their are no more fish to fish"... or something like that

[anneporter]

Its a shame we have to go through this kind of expensive and major cleanup. Oh well. No otherway but forward. I hope we learn our lesson.

Those plastics definitely has to b recycled

Upvoted and followed. Hope to see more of these

[chiminguito]

saludo amigo buena esa, la desidia la la humanidad , las malas costumbren de echar todo al mar, que buena labor, gracias por su contribución