Elleda Wilson: 'Exciting milestone'

Apr. 27—Boyan Slat, a young Dutch entrepreneur, formed the nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup to remove plastic debris, particularly in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

"... We create artificial coastlines, where there are none, to concentrate the plastic," the website explains. "The system is comprised of a long U-shaped barrier that guides the plastic into a retention zone at its far end. Through active propulsion, we maintain a slow forward speed with the system." It collects the debris after being placed in "plastic hotspots." The photo shows System 002 at work.

Recently, the nonprofit made an "exciting milestone" announcement on Twitter: System 002/B's first 2023 extraction took 6,260 kilograms (13,800 pounds) of plastic out of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, bringing the total to over 200,000 kilograms (440,924.5 pounds, or 220.5 tons) of plastic cleaned up from the area.

"We must keep this plastic from entering the environment again," the website adds, "either by creating durable new products or processing it otherwise. "

And it's a very big problem, indeed, as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is said to contain 88,185 tons of plastic. (Photo: The Ocean Cleanup)