The Ocean Cleanup

After centuries of synthetically producing goods, decades of waste materials have resulted and despite globally accessible methods for recycling with seemingly infinite reuse applications*, many (both individuals and companies) wrongfully discard such goods leading to pollution with chain reaction effects.

Foremost, not all goods are created equally with some posing greater environmental harm than others. As it stands, plastics are of topmost concern followed by metals including aluminum, steel, and copper. (Although sometimes modified for industrial applications, glass naturally forms when magma or a lightning strike encounters sand. This results from high temperatures temporarily changing its physical state and therefore properties. Additionally, cardboard and paper products are primarily derived from trees and therefore consist of mostly carbon atoms).

Following popularity in consumer goods, plastics have seen invasive species-like introduction (not having evolved together overtime), within ecosystems through discarded bottles, nets, and packaging reaching waterways as well as unintended animals. In result to undeveloped response mechanisms, this often leads to injury and biodiversity loss. Like all materials, plastics can be broken down into subcategories such degradable and biodegradable polymers. (Degradable products are primarily derived from petroleum-based materials designed to withstand extreme conditions, physical stress, and extensive wear. Resultantly, natural cycles take many thousands of years to break down their chemical structures and never fully complete. Biodegradable products serve as an intermediate between synthetics and complete alternatives as they also degrade into microplastics, but are sourced from woodchips, vegetables, wood, and straw [1].

Regardless of their type, all plastics eventually work their way into the world’s oceans whether it’s through streams, rivers, or direct littering. Because of this, many organizations have formed with the sole purpose of waste removal. Notably, The Ocean Cleanup is a nonprofit founded in 2013 which uses advanced technology such as artificial coastlines, directory barriers, and Interceptor units to corral floating debris, remove isolated quantities, organize manmade products for recycling, and safely return biological materials [2].

While efforts continue to grow and slowly undo human damages, company founders have made it clear their programs are not a long-term solution. To most effectively remove plastic from the oceans, people simply need to stop littering and pick up after themselves. Individual responsibility isn’t a big ask and more energy is spent on secondhand restoration. With everything considered, technology will continue to progress, allowing for more effective methods of reaching climate stabilization followed by ecological recovery. Actions like those from The Ocean Cleanup are noble, but it’s a shared responsibility to improve our environment.

*While “reduce, reuse, recycle” is common to hear amongst any environmentally associated program, few understand its implications with respect towards personable actions. First, “reduce” simply suggests to cease expenditures on unnecessary goods whether its bulk food (even if more is cheaper, don’t buy excess if it will be wasted), clothing (having more than what is worn in three weeks per season), or consumer electronics (there is no such thing as needing to annually/biannually upgrade devices and there’s nothing wrong with buying secondhand). Second, “reuse” promotes consumers to inquire if any of their goods have fulfilled purposes and will be discarded but could be kept to serve an additional purpose. Lastly, “recycle” indicates that if a good beyond reusable condition is ready to be thrown away, send it to a designated facility for material recovery (plastics, glass, metal, and paper are commonly accepted).

[1]          Greenorb. “Why Are Plastics Non-Biodegradable.” https://www.thinkingsustainably.com/why-are-plastics-non-biodegradable/ (accessed January 29, 2025).

[2]         https://theoceancleanup.com/ (accessed January 29, 2030).

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