The oceans are the end point of every river, every tributary and every flowing water body in the world. No matter where you carelessly discard your waste, it will find its way to the ocean. In fact, about 17.6 billion pounds of it already has. It is estimated that by the year 2050, ocean pollution will be outweighed by plastic! With a garbage patch in the Pacific Ocean that is already twice the size of Texas, it seems we’re heading towards this at supersonic pace. By Quoyina Ghosh
Today, the sea’s fate looks grimmer than ever before. The ability to change this lies solely in our hands. This responsibility, while huge, has currently been shouldered by a few organisations. They have joined hands aiming for a future free from deadly repercussions. Today, we throw the spotlight on those who cared enough to aim for change with some heroic cleanup ideas.
1. The Seabin
Created by two Australian surfers, the Seabin is a bucket, which includes a water filtration system and a pump. It is designed to suck all the floating trash that pollutes the ocean. Some variations even include an ‘oil-water separator’ which sucks the oil in the water and then proceeds to spit the clean water out. All you have to do is set the bucket in a spot in the ocean while it proceeds to suck out all the trash.
2. Plastic Waste to Oil
Someone has figured out a way to convert plastic to oil! A British company Recycling Technologies has come up with a process to break down plastic into molecules to convert it into oil. Can you imagine a world where a circular model of ‘produce, use, recycle and reproduce’ is in place, instead of the linear ‘produce, use and discard’ one? Well, this company can! Using a machine, which is approximately as big as a tennis court, they heat the plastic to 932 degrees Fahrenheit and then convert it into fuel, wax and an oil named Plaxx. The future is here, people!
3. The Ocean Cleanup
With the ambitious plan of cleaning up the Great Pacific garbage patch, the Ocean Cleanup project is currently aiming to launch 60 clean-up systems by 2020. The product is designed to use the natural forces of ocean currents, waves and the wind along with a V-shaped collecting barrier to collect ocean debris. It is predicted that this project will lead to the cleanup of 50% of the Great Pacific garbage patch in five years. Fingers crossed!
4. The Manta Project by the Sea Cleaners
With a focus on leaving minimal carbon footprint, this boat running on renewable energy aims to collect as much waste as it can to clean the ocean. Inspired by magnificent manta rays, this project by Sea Cleaners will also be designed for easy access to disaster-hit areas and places where there is extreme pollution.
5. Banning various kinds of plastic
The solution to any problem always lies in its root cause, in this case, massive plastic consumption. If that can be controlled, the problem will be fettered. About 127 countries have already imposed a ban on single-use plastic. Some have even introduced taxes on plastic and while others have introduced recycling machines. If we tread this path more rigorously, the result will be a plastic-free future.
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