The Ocean Cleanup

Last week I explored some potential solutions, particularly concentrating on methods that focus on preventing further pollution of the ocean. Today, as promised, I'll be looking at one example of positive action - taking out of the sea the waste that is already in it. This is in part due to the fact that I have found myself quite often in this blog referring to things as 'a good start', or 'a step in the right direction'. Maybe I have been saying those words a bit too much. My intention is not to take anything away from steps in the right direction, and good starts are always vital, but it is sometimes nice to see some real positive progress taking place, and on a large scale. So this particular post is dedicated to what could perhaps the most promising initiative of this kind - The Ocean Cleanup.

Before exploring the ins and outs of how The Ocean Cleanup works, lets first introduce its founder, Boyan Slat. Now a 22 year old Dutch entrepreneur, Slat dropped out of his Aerospace Engineering degree in 2013 in order to devote all of his time and efforts to the Cleanup program. Since which time he, along with his invention, has received a variety of prestigious accolades. In 2015, he became the youngest ever person to receive the highest environmental honour given out by the UN: Champion of the Earth. In that same year, The Ocean Cleanup was given the Innovation by Design award from Fast Company, and was listed as one of the best 25 inventions by Time Magazine. The short video below shows Slat talking about what brought him to where he is now, describing how the revolutionary idea was first conceived during one of his high school science projects! 

As he alludes to in this short video, the motto by which The Ocean Cleanup lives is "Why move through the ocean, if the ocean can move through you". This unique principle is what perhaps sets this initiative apart from any other solutions out there. The idea of cleaning up the oceans has previously been seen as next to impossible - the amount of time and money it would take for ships to do the job would almost make it counterproductive. However, the idea of the rubbish coming to you, so long as you place your 'bin' in the right position, seems slightly more doable, and this is essentially what The Ocean Cleanup does. Giant V-shaped arrays, stretching up to hundreds of metres long, are placed in the sea at locations where the waste is believed to be concentrating due to ocean currents. The V shape is what allows the waste to then be directed towards a central collection point - from there it can be periodically removed and stored safely on land. Figure 1 below shows how the array aims to catch debris floating in ocean gyres. 

Ocean Cleanup array (Source)

In a method that involves letting the waste come to you, it is therefore imperative that you have a detailed understanding of exactly where these giant ocean currents are taking the waste. Last year, the Ocean Cleanup carried out its 'Mega Expedition' in order to do exactly that. This particular project, the largest ever of its kind, was focused on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, arguably the most notorious collection of waste on the planet. Marine biologist, Serena Cunsolo, described their observations as "devastating to see" after joining the team for the expedition. The estimated cost of tackling the patch is a proposed €4.53 per kg of waste, €317 million in total, according to a feasibility study by Slat et al. (2014). The study suggests that with the implementation of a 100 km long array in the North Pacific, the garbage patch could be reduced by 42% in as little as 10 years. 

However, it is key to note that these feasibility studies were carried out by the founders of the Ocean Cleanup program themselves, but those looking in from the outside may propose a different view. For example, studies by Sherman and Sebille (2016) suggest concentrating efforts in nearshore areas will be a far more efficient way of cleaning up the ocean, as oppose to placing these arrays hundreds of miles out to sea. They believe that attempting to clear up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a distraction from the 'real problem' which is the current input of waste into the ocean. Furthermore, despite constant rebuttals from Slat, some scientists have proposed an ecological impact on marine life, as well as suggesting that Slat has underestimated the forces of waves and currents out at sea. Despite scepticism from some, having raised over $2 million so far to help fund the project, the team placed their 100 m long prototype in the North Sea earlier this year. The main goal is to then be able to start the clean up of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 2020. 

Whether you believe efforts should be concentrated on the inputs, or you think that this particular initiative is the biggest sign of progress so far, I feel the whole problem is ultimately summed up perfectly by Rochman (2016). Using the analogy of a burst pipe in her basement, she describes how she would turn off the source of the water, but certainly wouldn't leave a puddle sat in her house either. In essence, stopping the waste at source is crucial, but clearing up what waste has already been created sure can't be a bad idea either.