In the article “Boy Genius Boyan Slant’s Giant Ocean Cleanup Machine is Real”, Schiller (2017) stated that an improvised design of the trash collecting machine would help to collect plastic trash in the Pacific. Boyan Slat first envisioned his Ocean Cleanup machine in a TED talk and would commence hauling trash from the patch, an area where plastics are accumulated in the ocean. His machine’s design includes large booms that gather trash with the assistance of Pacific’s currents. The booms function like an “artificial coastline” passively trapping debris into the centre, which would be offloaded to a boat monthly. Large anchors which would be suspended from the booms ensures its manoeuvrability around the ocean. The anchors form four sections with a total surface area of 328 square feet, reducing the boom’s speed as trash circulates within the Patch. A 0.6-mile prototype would be tested by Ocean Cleanup Foundation before deployment in 2018. The amount of debris collected is expected to accumulate up to a five-figure sum annually, which are intended to be recycled into usable items.
While the Ocean Cleanup Machine is a good invention which aims to clear up plastic pollution from the Patch, the article fails to discuss the downside and uncertainties of the system.
As of March 2018, the size of the Pacific Garbage Patch is currently more than 600,000 square miles. The Ocean Cleanup Machine has a total of 50 devices at 0.6 miles long each. The total length of the boom only totals up to 30 miles long. It is unlikely that the machine will be unable to reduce the Patch size by half in the span of 5 years as envisioned. Thus, the goal seems unrealistic or some might call it too good to be true.
The article mentioned that it will cost $320 million for a 5 years work. Even though it is claimed to cost significantly lesser than the conventional plastic clearing methods, it is still a large sum of money to be raised. The project has currently managed to raise $30 million which is only one-tenth of the expected cost required. With a lack of funding, it will be very difficult for the system to be implemented operationally.
The article also lacks information regarding the durability of the boom or whether it will be able to withstand the harsh condition of the Pacific. To ensure the maximum effectiveness of the system, the boom must be positioned at a U-shape. However, the ocean’s behaviour is unpredictable, making the control of the system at the hands of the ocean. Therefore, the effectiveness of the system is solely dependent on the ocean’s performance. The ocean is also known to be merciless. One powerful wave might break the booms, or a heavy storm might mess up the formation of the booms. Therefore, it is very unpredictable as to how long the boom will be able to last out in the ocean.
In conclusion, the success of the Ocean Cleanup Machine is unpredictable and requires a large amount of capital and effort for it to be successful.
References
Laura, P. (2019). Floating trash collector has setback in Pacific Garbage Patch. Retrieved January 4, 2019, from
Adele, P. (2018). The giant Ocean Cleanup device is having some trouble cleaning up the ocean. Retrieved July 12, 2018, from
Rice, D. (2018). World’s largest collection of ocean garbage is twice the size of Texas. Retrieved March 22, 2018, from
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/science/2018/03/22/great-pacific-garbage-patch-grows/446405002/
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