The Ocean Cleanup project aims to passively extract plastic pollution from the ocean using large floating barriers and platforms anchored to the seabed. Observations show plastic concentrates near the surface, so barriers 2-3 meters deep could capture most plastic mass. The barriers would catch plastic in front of them as particles rise from currents, accumulating along the barriers until streams from both sides meet at collection platforms. Through testing upscaled designs, the project aims to deploy a fully operational pilot system in 3-4 years that can efficiently clean plastic from the ocean gyres.

1. THE OCEAN CLEANUP
Efficient Plastic Extraction from Seawater
Via Passive Barriers & Platforms

2. The world’s oceans are characterized by a system of large-scale
rotating currents, called ‘gyres’. The ocean systems are constantly
moving as a result of the turning of the earth and wind patterns. If
the ocean’s water is constantly moving according to predictable
patterns, so is the plastic pollution.
THE OCEAN CLEANUP

3. VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF PLASTICS
Observations indicate plastic maintains a depth profile of
higher mass close to the water surface with mass decreasing
exponentially with depth.
To measure the vertical distribution of the plastic debris, a net system was created
capable of sampling the oceans from the surface to a depth of 5 meter. The plastic
concentration (grams and pieces per m3) was measured in the North Atlantic Gyre
during two separate expeditions.

4. This led to the idea of a ‘passive cleanup’: The Ocean Cleanup
concept consists of an array of floating barriers and platforms,
moored to the seabed, where buoyant plastic particles can be
caught, while neutrally buoyant marine organisms remain
underneath the boom in the flow of water. A floating barrier
depth of 2-3 m was chosen because it would be able to
capture most of the total plastic pollution mass.
Through this concept, plastic can efficiently be extracted from
seawater in three phases:
1. the particles are caught in front of the boom, by rising from the main
ocean flow into the almost stationary water in front of the booms.
2. the particles accumulate while slowly progressing along the boom
towards the platform, and new particles are continuously added to this
stream.
3. streams of particles from both sides of the array meet in front of the
platform and the increased concentration allows for efficient collection.

5. To learn more about this and other innovative solutions
Go to OceanExchange(dot)Org
The New Platform Design
Through a series of up-scaled tests, The Ocean Cleanup will
work towards a large-scale and fully operational pilot in 3-4
years’ time. The series of tests will generate new data in a
range of structural and physical topics.