“Six years after sailing out of San Francisco with the ambition of developing the technology to rid the world’s oceans of plastic, The Ocean Cleanup returned to San Francisco with the knowledge and know-how to relegate the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to the history books,” according to a new announcement from the group.
As the Los Angeles Time describes it, “After three years extracting plastic waste from the notorious Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an environmental nonprofit says it can finish the job within a decade…”
Twice the size of Texas, the mass of about 79,000 metric tons of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii is growing at an exponential pace, according to researchers. At current levels, the cleanup would take a decade with a price tag of $7.5 billion, the Netherlands-based Ocean Cleanup said in a press release, announcing the group’s intention to eliminate the garbage patch entirely. However, computer models suggest a more aggressive approach could complete the job in just five years and cost $4 billion.
The cleanup vessels deploy enormous u-shaped floating barriers to funnel trash toward a focal point where it can then be loaded aboard and brought to shore… In their three years at sea, the Ocean Cleanup vessels have removed more than a million pounds of trash, representing 0.5% of the total accumulation. “We have shown the world that the impossible is now possible. The only missing thing is who will ensure this job gets done,” said Boyan Slat, founder and chief executive of the Ocean Cleanup.
Project founder Boyan Slat said in their statement that “Today’s announcement is clear: clean oceans can be achieved in a manageable time and for a clear cost.
“Through the hard work of the past 10 years, humanity has the tools needed to clean up the ocean. We have shown the world that the impossible is now possible… [F]or the first time, we can tell the world what it costs, what is needed and how long it could take. It is time for action.”
Next year the group will take “a one-year operational hiatus,” according to the announcement — to deploy a new initiative mapping areas of intense plastic accumulation to make extractions “more impactful.”