Ocean Cleanup’s 10-Year Mission: Removing 200,000 kg of Plastic

This week marks a major milestone for The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit dedicated to removing plastic pollution from oceans worldwide. Founded by Boyan Slat, the organization shared a 10th-anniversary video on Twitter, celebrating a decade of achievements. What began as an idea after Slat witnessed more plastic bags than fish while diving in Greece has grown into one of the largest ocean cleanup initiatives in history.

At just 18, Slat left his aerospace engineering studies to pursue his passion for ocean conservation. His TEDx talk, “How the Oceans Can Clean Themselves,” went viral, propelling the vision forward and leading to the official founding of The Ocean Cleanup on February 15, 2013.

Scaling Up: Technology and Impact

In the past decade, The Ocean Cleanup has developed innovative technologies to address ocean plastic pollution on two fronts: removing the existing “legacy” plastic in the oceans and intercepting new emissions from rivers before they reach open waters.

Their most notable innovation, System 002, has been deployed in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch since late 2021. This area, which floats between Hawaii and California, contains an estimated 100 million kg of plastic. So far, System 002 has removed nearly 200,000 kg of plastic from this patch, plastic that otherwise could have remained trapped for decades.

Expanding with Interceptor Solutions in Rivers

To prevent new plastic waste from entering the ocean, The Ocean Cleanup has also launched “Interceptor Solutions,” which are deployed in rivers around the globe. This technology is designed to “close the tap” on plastic by capturing trash downstream, preventing it from reaching the ocean. Interceptors are currently deployed in eight countries, with the most recent deployments in Los Angeles County and Kingston, Jamaica. To date, these systems have successfully intercepted over 2 million kg of trash in rivers.

Key Milestones of The Ocean Cleanup:

  1. Founded by Boyan Slat in 2013, inspired by a viral TEDx talk.
  2. System 002 deployed in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, removing nearly 200,000 kg of plastic.
  3. Interceptor Solutions installed in eight countries, intercepting over 2 million kg of river trash.
  4. US$25 million donation from Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia to support expansion.

Partnership with the United Nations Development Programme

xOn February 9, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Ocean Cleanup signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen their commitment to eliminating plastic pollution. This partnership aims to support policies, behavior change, and sustainable waste management practices to address marine plastic pollution. Together, they will accelerate the deployment of river interception technologies globally, pushing forward a shared vision for cleaner oceans.

With a $25 million donation from Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia in February 2023, The Ocean Cleanup is poised for even greater impact. As Slat and his team look toward the future, they’re committed to building on a decade of progress in their mission to restore and protect our oceans.