--- title: This system is all set to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch description: One ambitious young environmentalist has developed a sea plastic clean-up system to help tackle the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. --- [![Indigo by AWA logo](https://www.awa.asn.au/hs-fs/hubfs/AWA-Website/Logos/Indigo_colour.png?height=24&name=Indigo_colour.png)](https://indigo.awa.asn.au/) [![Ozwater logo](https://www.awa.asn.au/hs-fs/hubfs/AWA-Website/Logos/Ozwater.png?height=24&name=Ozwater.png)](https://www.ozwater.org/) [![Careers in Water logo](https://www.awa.asn.au/hs-fs/hubfs/AWA-Website/Logos/Careers%20in%20Water_colour.png?height=24&name=Careers%20in%20Water_colour.png)](https://www.careersinwater.com.au/) [![NWW logo](https://www.awa.asn.au/hs-fs/hubfs/AWA-Website/Logos/NWW.png?height=24&name=NWW.png)](https://www.nationalwaterweek.org/) - [Join ![user icon](https://www.awa.asn.au/hubfs/website-assets-2021/icons/awa-nav-user-icon.svg "user icon")](https://www.awa.asn.au/new-registration) - 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[ Upcoming Events ](https://www.awa.asn.au/upcoming-events) - [ Events Calendar ](https://www.awa.asn.au/national-events-calendar) - [ Ozwater ](https://www.awa.asn.au/events/ozwater) - [ Photo Gallery ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/133291504@N03/albums) - [ Awards ](https://www.awa.asn.au/awards) Show submenu for Awards ![Plus icon](https://www.awa.asn.au/hubfs/website-assets-2021/icons/awa-menu-plus-icon.svg) ![Plus icon](https://www.awa.asn.au/hubfs/website-assets-2021/icons/awa-menu-minus-icon.svg) - [ Awards Overview ](https://www.awa.asn.au/awards) - [ Individual Awards ](https://www.awa.asn.au/awards-individual) - [ Chris Davis AM Fellowship ](https://www.awa.asn.au/chris-davis-am-fellowship) - [ Guy Parker Award ](https://www.awa.asn.au/guy-parker-award) - [ Organisation Awards ](https://www.awa.asn.au/awards-organisation) - [ Student Awards ](https://www.awa.asn.au/student-awards) - [ Australian Stockholm Junior Water Prize ](https://www.awa.asn.au/awards/student-awards/asjwp) - 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Boyan Slat presented his idea six years ago at TEDx. Since then, he has founded The Ocean Cleanup and raised $2.2 million in a crowdfunding campaign and other investors. This month, the first system is due to set sail for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch where it will begin to clean up some of the 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic collected there by ocean currents. While some scientists showed scepticism for the idea, Slat told *[Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/40560810/the-revolutionary-giant-ocean-cleanup-machine-is-about-to-set-sail)* that the project is about more than just finding success in Silicon Valley, a sentiment which kept him going through many of the engineering and funding trials he faced. “There were many times in the last few years that were really rough. [But] I would never be able to work on a photo-sharing app or ‘internet startup XYZ’. I think people overestimate the risk of high-risk projects,” he said. “Personally, I think I would find it much harder to make a photo-sharing app a success – it sounds counterintuitive, because it’s much easier from an engineering perspective, but I think if you work on something that’s truly exciting and bold and complicated, then you will attract the kind of people that are really smart and talented; people that like solving complicated problems.” The first piece of the technology will be towed out of the San Francisco Bay, along the coast of the Farallon Islands, where the team will test how the system holds up to towing. The equipment will need to be towed for three weeks in order to make it to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Following the tow testing, engineers will bring the first section back and connect the rest to form a total of the 610m of piping. The organisation expects to bring 5000kg of plastic ashore per month with its first system. The system uses a giant floating tube, flexible enough to bend with the waves, but rigid enough to form a U-shaped barrier to stop the plastic floating on the ocean’s surface, with nylon screen attached underneath to catch some of plastic below the surface. While it is an ambitious plan, Slat said a problem of this size requires determination and the ability to think big. “Very often, problems are so big [that] people approach them from the bottom up: ‘If only I do this little bit, then hopefully there will be some sort of snowball effect that will be bigger and bigger,'” he said. “I’m much more in favour of the top-down approach to problem-solving. Really ask, if the problem is this big, how do you get to 100%? Then knowing what it takes to get to 100%, work your way back [and ask] ‘what do I have to do now?’” [ Innovation ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/tag/innovation) [ Pollution ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/tag/pollution) [ Oceans ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/tag/oceans) Share [![email icon](https://www.awa.asn.au/hubfs/website-assets-2021/icons/icon-dark-sandstone-email.svg "email icon") ](mailto:?subject=This%20system%20is%20all%20set%20to%20clean%20up%20the%20Great%20Pacific%20Garbage%20Patch&body=Check%20out%20https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/technology/innovation/this-system-is-all-set-to-clean-up-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch) [![facebook-icon](https://www.awa.asn.au/hubfs/website-assets-2021/icons/icon-dark-sandstone-facebook.svg "facebook icon") ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/technology/innovation/this-system-is-all-set-to-clean-up-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch) [![LinkedIn icon](https://www.awa.asn.au/hubfs/website-assets-2021/icons/icon-dark-sandstone-linkedin.svg "LinkedIn icon") ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/technology/innovation/this-system-is-all-set-to-clean-up-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch) [![Twitter icon](https://www.awa.asn.au/hubfs/website-assets-2021/icons/icon-dark-sandstone-twitter.svg "Twitter icon") ](https://twitter.com/home?status=https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/technology/innovation/this-system-is-all-set-to-clean-up-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch) ## RELATED NEWS ### [ Pollution on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is growing, research finds ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/environment/natural-environment/pollution-on-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-is-growing-research-finds) Water Source Offering a sombre reminder of the world’s plastic pollution problem, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – a moving ball of discarded… [ Read Full Paper ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/environment/natural-environment/pollution-on-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch-is-growing-research-finds) ### [ How these Aussie surfers are leading the way in solving ocean plastic issues ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/environment/natural-environment/how-these-aussie-surfers-are-leading-the-way-in-solving-ocean-plastic-issues) Water Source With ocean plastic one of the leading environmental crises of the 21st century, a pair of Australian surfers are set to launch… [ Read Full Paper ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/environment/natural-environment/how-these-aussie-surfers-are-leading-the-way-in-solving-ocean-plastic-issues) ### [ Gross pollutant traps capture debris at Perth urban wetland ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/environment/natural-environment/gross-pollutant-traps-capture-debris-perth-urban-wetland) Cecilia Harris Water Corporation will be overseeing a two year investigation of gross pollutant traps (GPT) at Herdsman Lake, one of Perth’s most… [ Read Full Paper ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/environment/natural-environment/gross-pollutant-traps-capture-debris-perth-urban-wetland) Advertising --- ### Subscribe to our newsletters Sign up to get the latest news and insights from us Advertising --- ![white arrow pointing upwards](https://www.awa.asn.au/hubfs/website-assets-2021/icons/awa-white-arrow-up.svg) Top [![Footer-logo-02](https://www.awa.asn.au/hubfs/Footer-logo-02.svg) ](https://www.awa.asn.au/) The **Australian Water Association** acknowledges the Traditional Custodians across Australia, where we live, work and play, for their deep connection to our precious waters and land. 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