Back in May 2017, a Dutch High Schooler by the name of Boyan Slat, was appalled by the plastic trash in our ocean, so he invented a way that would help clean it up. After going on a vacation in Greece and diving in the ocean, he reported that there was so much plastic, it out numbered the amount of fish. Fast forward to today, September 2018, his plan of action is now being put to use and we are very excited.
Originally, the solution to ocean clean up was scooping up plastic with nets. This was a terrible solution due to the fact that the net would catch ocean fish and other sea life as well, Boyan Slat’s invented massive booms that float on top of the water and act as a small coastline. The boom will force all the floating plastic to gather at the border line and once a month a boat will come and collect the trash. After a year of working on this invention with engineers, the amount of garbage projected to be removed from the ocean has gone up. Slat explains more in this video exactly how his idea of garbage-collecting booms will work.
Since the start of Slat’s invention, he has received $320 million in donations to make his vision into a reality, and by 2040, 90% of the plastic should be out of the ocean. This year the booms are starting to be added into the ocean and by 2020 the project should be deployed at full scale. Surprised Boyan Slat is under the age of 20? So are we, it’s great to hear that Generation Z is making a difference in the world for tomorrow!
At Pioneer, we like to keep you caught-up on all the sustainable trends going on in the world today. We love to hear about all the great solutions being invented for a better environment. Contact us today to find out ways your company can take a green initiative.