Anchor a boom in rivers to catch plastic waste
In South Africa, The Litterboom Project uses a large pipe that is anchored across the river, which acts as a catchment for all surface level plastics- which are predominantly HDPE and PET. This preventative measure is set up strategically where it can collect the most rubbish and where the team collects, sorts and sends the plastic off for recycling.
90% of marine plastic pollution comes from river systems
SourceBenefits
- Relatively inexpensive
- Simple design and set up
- Intercepts plastic before it reaches the ocean
- Can help identify where plastic is coming from on rivers
Challenges
- Only catches plastic floating on the surface
- Does not catch microplastics
- Sits across the river so may block traffic depending on location
Making a difference
In just a year and half, The Litter Boom Project has been able to prevent 120 000 kgs of plastic from reaching the ocean.