Our floating systems are designed to capture plastics ranging from small pieces, just millimeters in size, up to large debris, including massive, discarded fishing nets (ghost nets), which can be tens of meters wide.

Modeling predicts we need around 10 full-size systems to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

After fleets of systems are deployed into every ocean gyre, combined with source reduction, The Ocean Cleanup projects to be able to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.

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To rid the waters of debris, we need not only to clean up what is already out there but also stop new debris from entering the waters – we need to close the tap. Working together with government leaders, individuals, and private corporations, our goal is to tackle these 1000 most polluting rivers all over the world.

Every single year, marine plastic costs the economy (6 to 19) billions of dollars – impacting tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, and (governmental) cleanups. And that doesn’t include the impact on our health and on the marine ecosystem. Intercepting plastic in rivers is much more cost-effective than dealing with the consequences downstream.

We are committed to developing and scaling technologies to rid our rivers, creeks, and other bodies of water of plastic and other debris. To achieve this objective, we have to work on a combination of closing the sources of polutants and cleaning up what has already accumulated in the waters and doesn’t go away by itself. This goal means we plan to put ourselves out of business – once we have completed this project, our work is done.