The Ocean Cleanup states that it can make the Great Pacific Garbage Patch go away within five years to the tune of $4 billion. During a brief stopover in San Francisco late last week, founder and CEO Boyan Slat plus key members of the team met with press, sponsors and fans, while their two 73.2-meter System 03 vessels attracted attention at the Pier 15 dock beside the Exploratorium.
The Ocean Cleanup Reveals Cost and Timeline
Friday’s reveal of $4 billion and five years is the first time both a total cost and a timeline have been shared for eliminating a growing environmental hazard — the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP).
During the past three years, The Ocean Cleanup has removed more than one million pounds of trash from the GPGP, or 0.5% of the region’s total accumulated debris. Slat states the company’s present technology and method for locating and removing debris could continue, but their analysis yields elimination in 10 years and at a cost of $7.5 billion.
He’s stumping for funds to achieve a far more ambitious plan — one that works with data and computer modeling — and predicts that operations could eliminate our plastic problem at a cost of $4 billion. In a live broadcast Slat called upon the world, governments, corporations, individuals and foundations to prioritize efforts to clean the marine environment.
Other The Ocean Cleanup action.
The Ocean Cleanup Takes One Year Hiatus
In 2025, the company will take a one-year operational hiatus in order to deploy a new hotspot-hunting initiative designed to map hot zones, or areas of intense plastic accumulation, in the GPGP. This will make removal efforts more fruitful.
It’s been the intent of the team to revisit San Francisco; six years ago, System 01 headed out under the Golden Gate Bridge with a mission to start removing the massive collection of discarded plastic that clogs our oceans and waterways, starting in the Pacific Ocean. According to The Ocean Cleanup, plastic pollution is one of the most urgent problems the ocean faces today, costing the world up to $2.5 trillion per year in damage to economies, industries and environment.
We’re hopeful that Slat’s plan and predictions are reasonably accurate and that The Ocean Cleanup succeeds in its five-year plan. In the meantime, learn more about their efforts in a previous ‘Lectronic Latitude.