The Ocean Cleanup

For the first time, we can put a price tag on cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. We now call upon the world - governments, companies, individuals - to make this cleanup happen.

"Together with our partner Kia, we provide proof that recycled plastic can be used sustainably. I hope that we can inspire others to do the same.”—Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO at The Ocean Cleanup. Back in 2022, together with Kia Worldwide, we established a shared mission- to achieve a plastic-free ocean and a sustainable planet. Today, Kia is our first Global Partner to repurpose plastic extracted from the GPGP (into a Limited-Edition Trunk Liner) and create a circular resource system. Our vision for a sustainable future goes beyond achieving our own goals. It’s about inspiring others to also join the movement and make a positive impact on the world.

Plastic pollution in the ocean is a planet-sized problem. It won't go away by itself. Here's what you need to know about it:

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is not an island of trash; it resembles a plastic soup, with areas of higher plastic concentration (hotspots) spread over an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers—three times the size of France. To improve the efficiency of our cleanup operations and address the urgency of the plastic pollution problem in the GPGP, this year we are developing methods to use GPS trackers and drones to locate plastic hotspots in real time. These innovations will help us steer our ocean system trajectory toward the most polluted areas of the patch in real time. Our data and modeling suggest that the GPGP could be cleaned in half the time and at nearly half the cost of our current estimate. More updates on these developments will follow later this year.

"And yes, it will be one of the largest environmental rescue operations yet, but we created this mess. We even invented this new material [plastic] first before we made this mess. So please, don't tell me we can't clean this up together." Back in 2012, the then-18-year-old Boyan Slat, now the Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, presented his vision of cleaning up plastic from the world's oceans at TEDxDelft. This kicked off a mission, thousands of supporters worldwide have joined the largest cleanup in history, and to date- - We have carried out fundamental research on plastic pollution and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - Deployed 17 Interceptors in some of the most polluted rivers worldwide; - Have gone through multiple iterations of ocean system designs to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - ... and last year, declared that we now have the tools to clean it up at an affordable price of $7.5bn. We have now removed over 20.5 million kilograms of trash from the world's oceans and rivers. But there's still much work to be done to rid the world's oceans of plastic. You can also get involved in the largest cleanup in history: https://lnkd.in/eQasyiZA.

In 2024, we removed 11,740,000 kg of trash from the world's oceans and rivers, making it our most impactful year yet. By 'we,' we mean The Ocean Cleanup team, partners, and all the supporters who help make this happen. Thank you! Behind these numbers lie ecosystems and livelihoods that improve with every piece of plastic that's no longer polluting our environment. Let's double this impact together in 2025. Want to join the largest cleanup in history? See how (link in comment).

This year, we made a significant step forward in our mission to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. Our total global trash catch in 2024 amounted to over 11 million kilograms—more than all previous years combined. Here’s how we got here: - Optimized Ocean Operations: We refined System 03 in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, completing 112 extractions to date... - ... and declared that we now have the tools to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — at a cost of just $7.5 billion. - Expanded River Operations: We deployed new Interceptors in Thailand, Jamaica, and Guatemala, including Interceptor 021 at the mouth of the Rio Motagua, helping protect coral reefs in the Gulf of Honduras. - Protecting Ecosystems & Livelihoods: Beyond intercepting plastic, we’re actively protecting ecosystems and improving local livelihoods with the support of our partners. But as a non-profit organization, we can only do this work thanks to your support, donations, and spreading awareness, which brings us all closer to clean oceans. Stay tuned for 2025 as we work on solving this planet-sized problem together.

NOW HIRING: River Operations Manager With a number of Interceptors already installed, the Rivers team is now working on new projects. To prepare for scaling up to tens and hundreds of rivers, it is important to track and incorporate the lessons from our current operations. We are looking for an operations manager with a connection to water bodies who wants to take on the challenge of bringing operational excellence to a still-new territory. Learn more and apply on our website:

World-leading band Coldplay joined the largest cleanup in history in 2021 and has supported our mission in various ways since. They've provided funding for our operations to remove plastic from oceans and rivers, sponsored two Interceptors, and spread awareness by showing footage of our cleanup operations at their live shows. The most recent step in our global partnership is a limited 'Notebook Edition' LP release of Coldplay's latest album, "Moon Music," made using river plastic we intercepted in the Rio Las Vacas in Guatemala. How did trash that was once polluting Guatemala become Coldplay's latest LP? Watch the full story on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/eqFF82FP

It took us 11 years to collect the first 10,000,000 kg of trash from the world's oceans and rivers. Just seven months later, we reached a new milestone: over 20,000,000 kg (44 million lb) of trash removed. 🚀 Our ocean cleanup systems have proven successful in tackling the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, but this cannot be a long-term strategy. Preventing further leakage into our oceans is paramount; we have deployed 18 Interceptors in 8 countries to intercept trash in rivers before it enters the oceans. Solving plastic pollution is a momentous task, and we can't do it alone; it requires robust policies, partnerships, and funding. Learn how you can get involved in the cleanup as an individual, company, or partner: https://lnkd.in/eQasyiZA