Published 16:54 IST, October 5th 2019

Ocean cleanup device successively collects plastic waste from sea

Ocean cleanup device collects plastic waste from sea for first time in Pacific Ocean on October 2, creator of Ocean Cleanup Project Boyan Slat said on Twitter

Reported by: Tanima Ray
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In a first, an ocean cleanup device designed by Dutch scientists to clean up an island of rubbish in Pacific Ocean has reportedly helped clear plastic from sea. founder of Ocean Cleanup Project, Boyan Slat, anunced achievement on October 2, on his official Twitter handle. He informed  media that 600 meter-long (2,000ft) free-floating boom captured and retained debris from what is kwn as Great Pacific Garb Patch. picture in tweet showed rubbish including car wheel, "from one-ton ghost nets to tiny microplastics".

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Plastics in ocean

As per reports, about 600,000 to 800,000 metric tonnes of fishing gear is abandoned or lost at sea each year. Speaking of or plastic wastes, reports stated that ar 8m tonne of plastic waste flow in from beaches. Halfway between Hawaii and California, ocean currents have brought a vast patch of such detritus where it is kept in rough formation by an ocean gyre, a whirlpool of currents. This reported being largest accumulation of plastic in world’s oceans.

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Details of cleaning system

Slat said in ar video that vast cleaning system is designed to t only collect discarded fishing nets and large visible plastic objects but also microplastics. In and about 1.8tn pieces of plastic are supposed to be collected by plastic barrier floating on surface of sea having a three meter-deep (10ft) screen below it without disturbing marine life below. re are transmitters and sensors fitted to device to enable ita location so that debris is collected every few months.

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Recycled plastic expected to fund future cleanup projects

In a press conference, Slat ded that plastic gared so far will be brought to shore in December for recycling. This will be a viable option as re may be a premium market for items that have been me using plastic reclaimed from ocean, Slat ded. He said  money gared from selling recycled plastic items might just fund projects future endeavours. y plan to w scale up device and make it more durable so it can retain plastic for up to a year or possibly longer before collection is necessary.
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16:38 IST, October 5th 2019