The Ocean Cleanup, a nonprofit environmental organization, has announced that it’s on track to eliminate the Great Pacific Garbage Patch by 2034—if it can secure the necessary funding. The effort is estimated to cost $7.5 billion, marking the first time both a cost and a timeline have been provided for removing this massive environmental hazard.
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch contains approximately 79,000 metric tons of plastic waste spread over an area twice the size of Texas. The Ocean Cleanup has been developing technologies to extract the plastic, using its latest tool, “System 03,” a floating barrier 1.4 miles long that collects debris as it’s towed by two vessels. To date, the organization claims to have removed one million pounds of trash, which is still just 0.5% of the total.
Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, emphasizes that the problem can be tackled within a clear timeframe and cost. The organization is also working on a “hotspot” map to target areas with the most plastic accumulation. By ramping up efforts, they propose that the patch could even be eradicated in just five years at a reduced cost of $4 billion.
Boyan Slat, the founder of The Ocean Cleanup, highlights that instead of waiting for someone else to solve problems, we should actively engage in finding solutions to the issues that bother us.
Find out more here: https://theoceancleanup.com
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