<
https://www.positive.news/environment/young-inventor-plans-to-stop-90-of-floating-sea-plastic-by-2040/>
"Dutch inventor Boyan Slat believes that the world’s ocean plastic crisis could
be dramatically reduced within the next 15 years – and for less than $1bn
(£750m). His nonprofit organisation, The Ocean Cleanup, is already deploying
technology designed to stop waste before it reaches the sea.
The approach focuses on rivers, where much of the world’s ocean plastic
originates. Floating barriers trap debris as it flows downstream, while
autonomous ‘interceptor’ boats equipped with conveyor belts collect the waste
and send it for recycling or disposal. The systems are already operating in
rivers across Indonesia, India, Colombia, the Philippines and the Caribbean.
According to Slat, targeting just 30 cities could prevent around a third of the
plastic currently entering the oceans.
Slat claims that the Motagua river in Guatemala sends more plastic into the sea
than all 38 members of the OECD. “That one river is about 2% of global plastic
emissions,” he said.
His team aims to tackle these hotspots by 2030, a programme he estimates would
cost about $350m (£263m). The longer-term goal is to stop 90% of floating
plastic pollution from reaching the sea by 2040, while also clearing existing
accumulation zones such as the great Pacific garbage patch."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
