How the oceans can clean themselves: a feasibility study

Abstract

The research described in this feasibility report indicates that The Ocean Cleanup Array is a feasible and viable method to remove large amounts of plastic pollution from a major accumulation zone known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Computer simulations have shown that floating barriers are suitable to capture and concentrate floating plastic debris. Combined with ocean current models to determine how much plastic would encounter the structure, a cleanup efficiency of 42% of all plastic within the North Pacific gyre can be achieved in ten years using a 100 km Array. In collaboration with offshore experts, it has been determined that this Array can be made and installed using current materials and technologies. The estimated costs are €317 million in total, or €31.7 million per year when depreciated over ten years, which translates to €4.53 per kilogram of collected ocean debris.