The Ocean Cleanup Receives $15 M to Take on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a massive accumulation of floating plastic debris, spans an area of 620,000 square miles. This expanse of Pollution, estimated to contain over 100,000 tons of garbage, is being tackled by a determined group aiming to clear one football field of trash every five seconds.

The Ocean Cleanup has been collecting these floating plastics since 2019 for recycling. Thanks to a recent $15 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust, announced on World Ocean Day, the organization will continue its ambitious $189 million project to remove 15 million pounds of plastic from the ocean.

Matthias Egger, head of environmental and social affairs at The Ocean Cleanup, emphasized the urgency of their mission. Removing plastics now is crucial to prevent an “ecological time bomb,” as these materials can break down into microplastics. These tiny particles infiltrate the food web, posing significant health risks to marine life and humans alike. Walter Panzirer, a trustee at Helmsley, highlighted the alarming presence of microplastics in human bodies and the associated negative health outcomes.

The latest cleanup system, funded by the Helmsley grant, involves a ship that takes about five days to reach the garbage patch. This ship drags a nearly mile-and-a-half-long barrier at a walking pace to collect the plastic. AI technology guides the ship towards the densest areas of plastic, while underwater cameras monitor for trapped marine animals, releasing them through a safety hatch if necessary.

Egger, who has visited the patch twice, described the surreal experience of seeing everyday objects like toothbrushes and children’s toys floating in the open ocean. This stark imagery underscores the vast extent of human-caused Pollution in even the most remote parts of the world.

The term “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” was coined by oceanographer Charles J. Moore in 1997 after a sailing race. According to the United Nations, about 85% of marine litter is plastic, which remains trapped in ocean gyres, breaking down into microplastics over time. Panzirer stressed the importance of collective action to address this issue, as the persistent garbage impacts global health and economies. Marine life suffers significantly, with animals mistaking plastics for food and ghost nets, which constitute 46% of the patch’s mass, ensnaring and killing sea creatures.

The economic costs of ocean plastic Pollution are staggering, estimated at $13 billion annually, encompassing cleanup efforts and losses to fisheries and other industries. The new funding will help The Ocean Cleanup scale up its operations with more efficient systems. However, completely clearing the patch would require billions more in funding.

Efforts to combat ocean plastic Pollution are gaining momentum on the international stage. The United Nations is working on a global plastics treaty, aiming for a legally binding agreement by the end of 2024 to address this critical issue.

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Related Content:

• Is Cleaning the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Really a Good Idea?
• Record-Breaking 25,000 Pounds of Trash Removed from Great Pacific Garbage Patch
• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is So Large, Coastal Ecosystems are Thriving on it, Scientists Say
• The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Cleanup Has Finally Begun
• Photo of Ocean Cleanup at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch Will Give You Hope

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