Could The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Be Eliminated In Five Years?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest accumulation of plastic in the world, but one company says it can get rid of it almost entirely. The Ocean Cleanup, a Netherlands-based company, says the Great Pacific Garbage Patch could be eliminated within the next five years, at a cost of $4 billion.

“Ocean plastic pollution is one of the most urgent problems our oceans face today, costing the world up to $2.5 trillion per year in damage to economies, industries, and the environment,” The Ocean Cleanup stated in a press release.

The company says it is confident that with the help of the world, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can be eradicated.

“We have shown the world that the impossible is now possible,” said Boyan Slat, founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, adding, “today’s announcement is clear: clean oceans can be achieved in a manageable time and for a clear cost.”

The group says time is of the essence. The price tag of $4 billion is if cleanup is done in five years. The company estimates that cost would be as high as $7.5 billion if they continue to clean at the current rate.

What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located in the Pacific Ocean, between California and Hawaii. The surface area of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch covers more than half a million square miles, which is twice the size of Texas. The weight of the plastic is less dense than the ocean water; therefore, it’s just floating at sea. The plastics enter the oceans from rivers and make their way offshore, being transported by the ocean currents and finally accumulating in the patch.

There are actually five areas around the world that have accumulated trash in the same way, but the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest and the one that has garnered the most attention.

Eliminating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Most of the plastics are floating in the top several feet of the ocean. Therefore, The Ocean Cleanup focuses on eliminating plastic from this top layer. They are working with a cleaning system called System 03, which can clean an area the size of a football field every five seconds.

They achieved this by using two smaller boats with a large, U-shaped barrier that traps the plastic inside, then funnels it into the vessel that removes the plastic from the ocean. Once the plastic is captured, it is recycled.

The Ocean Cleanup uses this technique, in conjunction with something called river plastic interception which intercepts trash coming out of the mouth of rivers. By doing these two things, The Ocean Cleanup says it can clean up to 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.

Ocean plastic has a huge impact on the food web. When marine life feeds on plastics, the chemicals enter the body of the animal through a process called bioaccumulation. This eventually makes its way up the food web, which includes humans.

“We call upon the world to relegate the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to the history books,” said Slat. “This environmental catastrophe has been allowed to exist, unresolved, for too long, and for the first time, we can tell the world what it costs, what is needed and how long it could take. It is time for action.”

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