The Ocean Cleanup deploys System 03 for the first time in 2024

A picture of the System 03 owned by The Ocean Cleanup organization conducting a clean up in the ocean.

Image by The Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organization aiming to clear 90% of floating ocean plastic by developing technology to intercept plastics flowing into the ocean from rivers and collecting the plastic already floating on the ocean.

The System 03 is their latest method of collecting floating plastic off the oceans and it has been deployed for the first time in 2024 in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. System 03 is operated by two vessels that pull a 2.2km long floating barrier with a depth of 4 meters, skimming the surface of all plastic floating in the area.

The plastic that is collected in this barrier is then directed towards the center where it is retained in a large storage system until it reaches full capacity and pulled into one of the vessels for the cycle to be repeated.

The plastic collected is also sorted and directed for recycling to prevent it from entering the oceans again through a partnership with Kia. The Ocean Cleanup successfully extracted over 250,000 kg of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch between 2021 and 2023.