Cleaning up the garbage patches

The fundamental challenge of cleaning up the ocean garbage patches is that ocean plastic pollution is highly diluted, spanning millions of square kilometers. Therefore, we must target areas with high concentration of floating plastic where System 03 can make the largest impact.

Our cleanup solution is designed to first concentrate the plastic, allowing us to effectively collect and remove vast quantities. This is how it works:

On September 6, we hosted an event to showcase the impact of our Ocean operation efforts and share our future plans. The event brought together our partners, individual supporters, global media and representatives from esteemed foundations. 

WHAT WE ANNOUNCED 

In 2018, we sailed out of San Francisco Bay with the mission to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). Six years later, we returned to San Francisco with our latest cleanup system, System 03.  Based on its performance, we can finally answer the question:

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO CLEAN UP THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH?

Our modelers estimate that the GPGP can be cleaned within 10 years for a total cost of $7.5 billion. This is a relatively affordable investment, especially considering the significant impact this project will have on both humanity and the planet. To put these numbers in perspective, that is less than the US spends on Halloween decorations each year!   

However, we estimate we can accelerate this process further. The GPGP is not an island of trash; it resembles a plastic soup, with areas of higher plastic concentration, namely “hotspots”.

By actively tracking where plastic hotspots form, we can direct our vessels to these areas more efficiently. This means collecting more plastic and cutting costs—all while reducing our emissions. With advanced hotspot hunting, we believe we can clean the entire patch in just 5 years and for half the cost.   

So, we call upon the world to make the cleanup happen.  We know how long it takes, and how much it costs. 

THE ONLY THING STANDING BETWEEN THE WORLD AND CLEAN OCEANS IS MONEY 

MANAGING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

We aim to rid the oceans of plastic in the most responsible way possible. Our mission is intended to benefit the ocean and its inhabitants, so we place protection of the marine environment and mitigation of any negative impact of our operations at the forefront of our ocean cleaning operations.

System 03, our current ocean cleaning technology, has deterrents, cameras, escape aids, and other features to minimize risk to marine wildlife. We also have trained independent observers on board the vessels each trip to monitor any interactions with protected species (such as turtles or whales) in the area. Monitoring data has confirmed that our operations are having only minimal effects on the environment.

In the gallery below, you can learn more about how we keep marine wildlife safe during our cleaning operations. You can also read more about our environmental protection measures in greater detail in this update.

Net Environment Benefit Assessment

At The Ocean Cleanup as we developed System 03, we took steps to minimize its environmental impact. But we also needed to know whether this mission was worth it or not.

A Net Environmental Benefit Assessment was carried by our Environmental and Social Affairs team to assess the impact of System 03 at sea while conducting cleanup operations. The groundbreaking findings from this collaborative research showed that the benefits of cleaning the GPGP outweighed potential environmental costs, including greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem disruptions.

In short, current available knowledge shows that The Ocean Cleanup’s efforts in the GPGP deliver an environmental net benefit. The dangers of floating plastic extend far beyond visible pollution—they contribute to the breakdown into microplastics, which not only contaminate marine ecosystems but also hinder the ocean’s ability to absorb and export carbon. In fact, microplastics in the GPGP are projected to reduce annual carbon sequestration by a staggering 15 to 30 million metric tons. In contrast, the carbon footprint of The Ocean Cleanup’s operations is significantly smaller, estimated at just 0.4 to 2.9 million metric tons per year. This means that the environmental gains from removing plastic outweigh the emissions generated in the process.

SURVIVING STORMS

As the cleanup systems must remain in the GPGP for long periods (sometimes under extremely harsh conditions), it is crucial that our systems can withstand ocean forces. We closely monitor the loads on the system, and we adapt the speed and span during rough seas. We track the latest weather forecasts to plan our route to avoid storms and to identify areas where cleaning conditions are most optimal. In the case of a particularly severe storm, the system can be temporarily withdrawn from operation.