Inspiring young people are finding the environmental solutions we need. At 16, Boyan Slat went scuba diving and was horrified by the amount of plastic in the sea. At 18, he founded The Ocean Cleanup: a non-profit organisation tackling the 60 year legacy of plastic waste.
So far, his team have collected 2 million kilos from rivers and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Ultimately, his aim is to clear the massive plastic islands in the oceans by the end of the decade.
The organisation uses a range of technologies:
– System 03: a vessel with an artificial coastline, which is a slow-moving 2,500 metre net to capture waste without disturbing sea creatures.
– Interceptors: boats which are solar powered autonomous robots, placed at the mouths of 11 rivers, collecting plastic before it reaches the oceans. The aim is to install them in the 1000 most polluted rivers in the world.
– AI cameras are placed on bridges spanning rivers so they can detect plastic hotspots. And drones scan the ocean’s surface.
It is no surprise that The Ocean Cleanup is attracting investment. A $25 million gift from Joe Gebbia, Co-founder of Airbnb and Samara will help them on their way to achieve their mission. 💚
A short video of The Ocean Cleanup at work: