Crew sorting plastic on deck after System 002 extraction, October 2021
What will we do with the trash?

Waste Management and Valorization

Since the beginning of The Ocean Cleanup®, we have always planned to do something valuable with the plastic we clean up. We must keep this plastic from entering the environment again – either by creating durable new products or processing it responsibly. We build local collaborations with waste operators to ensure that every piece of intercepted trash is handled responsibly. At the same time, we collaborate with forward-thinking companies to transform our plastic into purposeful products—giving waste a second life and creating value from what was once discarded.

waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
At Ocean Legacy Foundation’s facility, fibrous and rigid plastics from the GPGP were sorted and cleaned to meet Basel Convention standards.
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
At Ocean Legacy Foundation’s facility, fibrous and rigid plastics from the GPGP were sorted and cleaned to meet Basel Convention standards.
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
The sorted catch is load in containers and shipped, ready to be recycled.
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
The sorted catch is load in containers and shipped, ready to be recycled.
“There is no such thing as waste – only wasted resources. When you can create value from waste, it isn’t waste anymore.”
John Verhoeven, Recycling Manager

Ocean VS. River Trash

The Ocean Cleanup conducts cleanup operations in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and some of the world’s most polluted rivers. The composition of trash extracted from the ocean differs from what we catch in rivers, as does the ownership of the catch. Due to these factors, our role in creating value for these two streams also differs:

Oceans Rivers
Composition Only certain types of plastic make their way out to the middle of the ocean. Compared to plastic retrieved from rivers, ocean plastic is also much more degraded due to decades of exposure to seawater and UV radiation from the sun. The diversity of trash in rivers is much more significant than for oceans. Here, we not only catch different types of plastic but also other types of waste.
Ownership The plastic we catch in oceans is located in international waters, making us the legal owners. Trash caught in rivers is mainly owned by the operators of the Interceptor™.
Waste management As legal owners, we ensure the ocean catch is processed in accordance with our waste management policy, overseeing the entire value chain as we go. Working closely with the local operators, we review waste management plans, helping to identify and mitigate potential risks. Together, we aim to ensure a positive environmental impact.
Funding & Business model We recycle the majority of plastic, after which our partners process to make durable new products – while constantly looking for the best way to process any remaining waste. We support Interceptor™ Solution operators in developing business models for the extracted waste – by sharing our knowledge, experience, and access to our network.

river waste management

Unlike the GPGP, where trash is primarily plastic, river pollution contains several different materials including industrial and household waste. This adds another level of complexity but also opens new opportunities for reuse and recycling.  

Waste collected by Interceptors is owned by the local jurisdiction, where we operate under existing local waste management infrastructures. As such, the waste collected has a different processing pathway tailored to fit within local contexts, capacities, and realities. 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to cleaning these waterways. However, by working with local partners we can identify and implement lasting, responsible, solutions. In addition to cleaning the environment, these collaborations provide new jobs, usable recyclable materials, and a foundation for future waste management improvements.  

Crew sorting plastic on deck after System 002 extraction, October 2021 Plastic pollution in Ozama river, Dominican Republic 004 trash offload waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution

El Quetzalito, Guatemala

At the mouth of the Rio Motagua—one of the world’s most polluted rivers—Interceptor 021 is helping stop up to 900,000 kg of trash per month. A dedicated team from Guatemala’s Ministry of Environment ensures the waste is sorted and repurposed: organic matter becomes compost, wood fuels cooking in deforested communities, and PET plastic is recycled into household items like pillows and brushes at Terra Polyester in Honduras.

waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Terra Polyester sorting facility in Honduras. The intercepted plastic from Interceptor 021 gets shipped here so it can be recycled into household products
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Terra Polyester sorting facility in Honduras. The intercepted plastic from Interceptor 021 gets shipped here so it can be recycled into household products
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Terra Polyester sorting facility in Honduras. The intercepted plastic from Interceptor 021 gets shipped here so it can be recycled into household products
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Wood is taken to low income communities impacted by deforestation for use as cooking fuel

Kingston Harbour, Jamaica

Nine Interceptors are tackling plastic pollution in Kingston Harbour’s gullies, supported by the GraceKennedy Foundation and Clean Harbours Jamaica. Our grassroots campaign includes school programs, site tours, and mangrove cleanups—helping restore livelihoods for local fishing communities.

So far, millions of kilos of trash have been collected. Recyclables like PET and HDPE are exported for processing abroad, while non-recyclables are locally managed. In 2024 alone, over 32,000 kg of plastic was successfully diverted from landfill and recycled.

MANGROVE POLLUTION
Scene of the Great Mangrove Cleanup, a trash tournament organized by our local partners to raise awareness about plastic pollution in Kingston, Jamaica.
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Our local partners offloading and sorting the trash intercepted
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Our local partners offloading and sorting the trash intercepted
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Our local partners offloading and sorting the trash intercepted
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Our local partners offloading and sorting the trash intercepted

Cisadane, Indonesia

Interceptor 020 is helping clean one of Indonesia’s most polluted rivers, where 3 million kg of trash flows into the Java Sea each year. In partnership with local agencies, it’s boosting waste management efforts and has scaled the nearby Tanjung Burung Waste Bank’s capacity from 200 kg to 600,000 kg/month, creating 30 local jobs.

Beyond recycling and composting, pilot programs are turning timber and bamboo into furniture and fuel, giving waste new purpose and supporting the community.

waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Excavator loading intercepted waste into trucks to transport it to the sorting facility
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Excavator loading intercepted waste into trucks to transport it to the sorting facility
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Two workers from the Tanjung Burung Waste Bank sort through trash and debris caught by Interceptor 020

Klang, Malaysia

Interceptors 002 and 005 are helping clean the Klang River through the Selangor state’s Marine Gateway Initiative. In partnership with Landasan Lumayan, millions of kilos of waste have been captured, accelerating local cleanup efforts.

In July 2025, our local partners inaugurated a new semi-automatic sorting facility near Interceptor 002 which processes up to 15,000 kg of trash daily, creating six full-time jobs and promoting recycling of plastics and aluminum, while minimizing landfill waste.

waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Inaugural ceremony at the new sorting facility in Klang, held in collaboration with our local partners.
waste management, ocean waste management, ocean plastic, ocean plastic pollution, gpgp, the ocean cleanup, ocean cleanup, clean oceans, river pollution, river waste management, river waste, river plastic pollution
Inaugural ceremony at the new sorting facility in Klang, held in collaboration with our local partners.

recycling our catch

The Ocean Cleanup collaborates with renowned partners to transform the plastic caught in the GPGP or intercepted from our river deployments. The Ocean Cleanup is dedicated not only to removing these plastics from the oceans but also preventing them from re-entering the environment.

In October 2020, The Ocean Cleanup launched the first product made with plastic caught in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – The Ocean Cleanup Sunglasses. This served as the proof of concept that we can unlock the value in the ocean plastic catch: the material can be recycled into high-quality consumer products, giving people a tangible way to support us, so we can raise funding to clean more ocean. 

How You Funded 500,000 Football Fields Worth of Ocean Cleaning
The Ocean Cleanup sunglasses: our first ever product made using plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Ocean Cleanup sunglasses: our first ever product made using plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Valorization team prototyping the product with Safilo

Ensuring transparency

It is important that our donors, partners, and supporters are provided with transparency when it comes to our catch. That’s why we adhere to the Chain-of-Custody standard for our ocean plastic – certifying its origin, while also verifying our catch numbers from both rivers and oceans.

How we made the sunglasses

The circular process of creating the new sunglasses

Step 1: A boat collecting plastic from the ocean Step 2: Collected plastic inside a bag Step 3: People separating the plastic from the fishing nets Step 4: An boxing process of the sunglasses Step 5: A man checking the process Step 6: The sorted plastic moved into the factory Step 7: Wilson, the river processing system Step 8: Two people designing sunglasses Step 9: A machine that takes plastic and turns it into sunglasses Step 10: A boxing process of the sunglasses Step 11: People wearing the new sunglasses Step 12: An icon that indicates it's a circular process
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  1. Full Circle

    From Trash to Treasure

    We have come full circle for the first time; catching ocean plastic and turning it into the cleanup of tomorrow. See the full journey here.

  2. Catching the first plastic

    The Ocean Cleanup’s first plastic was caught in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch during our System 001/B campaign in 2019. System 001/B was intended to be a test system, with components that were easily modified offshore. This allowed us to see which configuration created a sufficient relative speed difference between the system and the plastic.

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  3. Landing the plastic

    After we completed System 001/B’s campaign, we returned to shore with the first plastic catch tagged, logged, and sealed in containers so that we can trace the plastic from the moment it leaves the ocean. Traceability is maintained throughout the Plastic Journey with the help of a third-party auditor (DNV GL), allowing us to certify that the plastic in your product actually does come from the ocean.

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  4. Sorting the first plastic

    Once the plastic landed in the Netherlands, we could sort it by polymer type. The two main fractions of the catch have different makeups from one another – ghost nets are fibrous, while rigid plastics are hard. Because their properties vary significantly, these fractions must be recycled and processed separately. For our first product, we chose to focus on the ghost nets, because this plastic was better suited for the sunglasses.

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  5. Recycling the plastic

    Ghost nets require specific recycling machines for its fibrous material composition. Because ghost nets have been exposed to the forces of the ocean, recycling is more complex than would be for regular fishnets made of the same polymers. The ghost nets underwent the following recycling process: sorting, shredding, washing and drying, and extrusion.

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  6. Safety and regulatory compliance testing

    We verified that the plastic met the regulatory requirements for sunglasses before it could undergo further processing. An independent, accredited laboratory checked for contaminants to ensure that the material meets safety standards for sunglasses. We also tested the mechanical, physical, and thermal properties of the plastic.

  7. Creating The Ocean Cleanup material

    Before we can mold the plastic into its new form to become a product, it will require a small, but necessary, amount of additives, such as stabilizers and pigment. These additives will allow the material to achieve the performance and technical characteristics required for manufacturing, while at the same time create a beautiful, ocean-inspired aesthetic for the product. This combination of additives is embedded in a carrier, called a masterbatch. Once developed, it has been mixed with the plastic to create The Ocean Cleanup material.

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  8. Processing System 001, a.k.a. Wilson

    System 001, a.k.a. Wilson, our first ocean cleanup system was deployed in 2018 in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and provided us with key insights to develop our technology further. We wanted to honor the memory of Wilson by giving it a new life in the form of the case for the sunglasses. The case has the same round shape as Wilson, and the cap mimics the look of the towheads

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  9. Designing the product

    We strived to make a durable product and teamed up with top designer Yves Béhar and his company fuseproject to create a timeless yet iconic design, with a pattern and color palette that are reminiscent of ocean waves. We designed the sunglasses for longevity so they can be treasured for many years, but, should there come a time when they can no longer be used, they are fully recyclable.

  10. Producing the product

    With The Ocean Cleanup material ready, the manufacturing process could begin. Safilo, a market leader and reputable sunglasses producer, ensured that the plastic is effectively incorporated into the creation of this new, unique product that is ready for shipping and use – hereby giving the ocean plastic a second chance.

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  11. Unboxing

    Recycled cardboard shipping box

    The sunglasses are packaged in a custom-designed shipping box, the Wilson case, and a pouch. The pouch resembles the look of the big bags we used to empty the cleanup system and is also made with recycled materials.

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    Recycled cardboard shipping box

  12. In your hands

    The day you receive your product will be a momentous step in the plastic journey. You will have helped to clean even more plastic from the ocean by giving this plastic a new life. Wear your sunnies with pride and share a photo with #theoceancleanup and/or tag @theoceancleanup to visibly tell your story and inspire other people to join our mission. With your permission, we might even include you in a compilation video of supporters.

  13. Continuing the cleanup

    Every time we return to the ocean for more cleanup, it will be possible thanks to supporters like you. You can track our progress here.

    System 002 deployed for testing in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

  14. Go back to the beginning

meaningful partnerships

Since then, we have been working to look at how the plastic we have collected and processed can go on to become new products that add value to the world we live in and, importantly, in forms that will not return to the ocean as trash.

Our focus and mission are on ridding the oceans of plastic. We know that there are companies and businesses that are better able to imagine and develop what happens next with the plastic we extract and intercept.

KIA Limited-Edition Trunk Liner

Together, Kia and The Ocean Cleanup have explored new ways of transforming what has been extracted from The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) in the North Pacific Ocean into durable plastic products.

Our collaboration has led to the creation of a Limited-Edition Trunk Liner. The world’s first car accessory made using recycled plastic extracted by The Ocean Cleanup from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Kia’s trunk liners, made with 40% recycled ocean plastic using a technique called “Extrusion with vacuum forming”.

 

ocean plastic
Kia limited-edition trunk liner, made with The Ocean Cleanup's Ocean plastic
The Kia EV3 trunk liner made using ocean plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Kia EV3 trunk liner made using ocean plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
ocean plastic
Kia limited-edition trunk liner, made with The Ocean Cleanup's Ocean plastic

Coldplay Limited-Edition LP

The Notebook Edition LP of Coldplay’s 2024 album ‘Moon Music’ is made from plastic intercepted from the Rio Las Vacas near Guatemala City, one of the world’s most polluted rivers. After the success of Interceptor 006 in Guatemala, we ensured this plastic didn’t return to the ocean by creating a durable, recyclable product. The final LP contains 70% PET river plastic from Interceptor 006 and 30% recycled PET bottles from other sources.

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The documentary of Coldplay’s Limited-Edition LP Made with River Plastic Collected by Interceptor 006 in Guatemala

The products of tomorrow

We believe in change, but change cannot be made alone. Together with dedicated, long-term partners we can rid the world’s oceans of plastic and repurpose our catch into the products of tomorrow. Plastic is a versatile material, but the uniqueness of our catch lies in the story it tells. It is the story of real change for a brighter future.   

If you are ready to co-create meaningful products and help drive lasting change, contact us to explore how we can collaborate and make sustainability a reality. 

Featured updates

How can you help?

Knowledge on how to create value from river and ocean trash is still very limited. As we continue our journey to create value from it, we need help from supporters and experts.