The Ocean Cleanup is attempting to “close the plastic tap” with their brand new technology: “The Ocean Cleanup Interceptor.” Their first examples have been in up and running for the last two months in South East Asia where two interceptors are operational in Klang, Malaysia and Jakarta, Indonesia. The device boasts solar panels which allow the plant to run 24 hours a day without noise or fumes. Better yet each interceptor extracts up to 50,000kg to 100,000kg of trash from the river a day. When the containers are full an onboard computer system alerts local partners to bring a boat and tow the barge of plastic waste away for recycling.
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Boyan Slat explains that the interceptors work with his mission to rid the oceans of plastic as 80% of the rubbish in the oceans come from just 1% of the world’s rivers. The interceptors will be implemented in the 1,000 most polluting rivers in the world in the next 5 years, with the upcoming additions in Bangkok and LA.