TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND POUNDS TRASH REMOVED FROM OCEAN IN ONLY ONE SWEEP
Marine plastic is a major environmental problem that affects everyone. From microplastics that find their way into humans and animals, to trash that smothers plants and wildlife, this material poses a danger. But did you know that between Hawaii and California there's a mass of plastic trash that's twice as big as Texas? It is one of five very large landfills. Fortunately, one organisation is working to purify our water and continues to meet ambitious goals. The nonprofit Ocean Cleanup, which aims to remove 90% of plastic waste from the oceans by 2040, has set a new record in its own efforts. In one of his "extractions" using a system of nets and boats, they pulled out a whopping 25,000 pounds of trash.
This trash comes from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and the organization uses the System 002 waste disposal method. Two large boats are pulling a long net that connects them. It glides over surfaces and collects tons of debris. System 002 is 875 yards long. A new System 03 with a staggering 2,400 yards in length is currently under construction. Every 5 seconds you will be able to cover the area of a soccer field. This new system is a welcome improvement, but the scale of cleaning is already impressive. On this trip he collected 50 tons of garbage in 4 weeks.
On the return trip to Victoria, British Columbia, passengers on board are tasked with sorting their trash. Anything that can be recycled is recyclable and the company is building partnerships with other companies that can make use of their waste. But there will always be plastics that cannot be recycled. Once out of the water, it poses less danger to marine life.