How a Dutch NGO removed more than 9 thousand tons of plastic from the planet’s rivers and oceans | Society

In a reality of annual dumping of millions of tons of plastic into the seas around the world, cleaning becomes essential. In several cities, environmental groups carry out awareness campaigns and cleaning efforts to remove trash from beaches and prevent dirt from reaching the sea. But the Dutch NGO The Ocean Cleanup took this activism to another level.

The entity has developed different systems that, using vessels, nets and floating barriers, promote the removal of floating dirt in the oceans or intercept solid waste in rivers, preventing contamination of the sea. Over the last ten years, the organization has removed more than nine thousand tons of dirt from different parts of the planet. By 2040, the goal is to clean 90% of the plastic that floats on the surface of the oceans.

The NGO was founded in 2013, by Dutchman Boyan Slat. Creator of the technology used to remove plastic, he won the UN Champions of the Earth award, aimed at people who make a positive impact on the environment.

A first prototype of the cleaning system was launched in 2018. Today, Cleanup is already working with the third version, which consists of floating barriers of around 800 meters, in the shape of a U, similar to a fishing net, pulled by boats. Attached to the “barrier”, cameras capable of scanning the water surface identify patches of trash and direct boats. When the vessel compartment is full, the material is taken to the mainland for recycling.

This system is used by the NGO in the USA, the Caribbean and Asia. The organization’s main focus is the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, between Hawaii and the West Coast of the USA, considered the largest vortex of oceanic plastic pollution in the world. All operations in the area are carried out in a way that causes minimal impact on marine life. The boats move slowly, and the nets are manufactured and monitored with the concern that animals do not become entangled in the equipment.

Recently, the NGO also developed a special system for rivers that installs barriers to prevent trash from reaching the ocean. This is considered the first scalable solution to address the problem in the pollution pathway. The technology already works in cities in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Dominican Republic, United States, Jamaica and Guatemala.

Garbage barrier

Called the “Original Interceptor”, the barrier system on rivers is transported by a catamaran, which collects trash without disturbing the water flow. All solid material is directed by a conveyor belt until it reaches one of the six containers on the collecting vessel.

— In the early years, the mission was to understand the problem. We knew there was plastic in the ocean, but we didn’t even know how bad it was, where all the plastic was or if we could actually solve it — explains Matthias Egger, director of Environmental and Social Affairs at Ocean Cleanup. — While we’ve developed a cleaning system that can be used in the middle of the ocean, we’ve also created a river cleaning technology where we can actually catch the plastic before the dirt gets into the sea. It was an engineering challenge. We needed a machine that could survive certain elements of nature, such as giant waves.

The NGO does not yet operate in Brazil, but there are plans to do so in the future. Egger explains that each river is “essentially different”. So, you need to find the best solution considering local conditions.

— If you want to clean the coastal area of ​​Brazil, the first thing to do is intercept the plastic that comes from the rivers to the coast. Once the pollution is in the ocean, the currents will take it everywhere — summarizes the director.

The organization maintains an Instagram page where it posts videos of the systems in operation for 2.3 million followers. Last Friday, the NGO used its profile to publicize that Interceptor 006, in action in the Las Vacas River, in Guatemala, carried out the largest capture of plastic since the organization was founded. There were 1,400 tons of garbage, which filled 272 trucks, blocked and removed before it reached the sea.

In order for it to reach more countries around the world, the next challenge, explains Egger, is to increase the scale of cleaning systems, which, of course, requires more financing. The Ocean Cleanup has important partnerships with universities and multinational firms. In Denmark, a large shipping company helps with financing boats.

After more than ten years of work, the NGO has not only had an impact on ocean cleaning but has also accumulated previously little-known data and statistics on the dynamics of ocean pollution. Essential wisdom, emphasizes Egger, for the final objective to be achieved.

— To get to the source of the problem, you need to know where the pollution comes from and what waste is most commonly found. It is essential to provide this information so that authorities can formulate public policies and make well-informed decisions — explains the director of Ocean CleanUp, adding that, in rivers, the most common waste found is single-use, that is, disposable products consumed by the local population. — In the middle of the ocean, the most common trash comes from the large fishing industry. This is new information, which we didn’t have at the beginning.

The NGO also identified that there is no above-average concentration of pollution in Southeast Asian countries, usually criticized for their fragile environmental policies.

— We hear that most plastic pollution comes from Southeast Asia, but that’s not always the case. In fact, we found a lot of plastic from the USA, South Korea, China and Japan. These countries have great responsibility — says Egger.

Plastic pollution affects the marine population, but also humans, recalls the expert. While animals die from ingesting plastic in the ocean (not necessarily due to the plastic itself, but because of the chemicals added to the material), studies reveal the severity of the damage to human health, such as cardiac and cognitive complications.

Global agreement

Cleanup is involved in negotiations to draft a global treaty, mediated by the UN, to combat plastic pollution. Egger, who will be present at the next negotiating table this week in Canada, feels optimistic about the prospects.

— It is an ambitious treaty, which can solve a problem. It is important to ensure that much less plastic is thrown into the environment. But we also argue that plastic that is already in nature should be treated. Not only in the oceans, but also on the continent — says the environmentalist, remembering the importance of preserving oceans to combat climate change. — It is essential that we maintain a healthy ecosystem. The ocean captures CO₂ and produces the oxygen we breathe.