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Special Collections:
Plastic in Our Oceans

Plastic in Our Oceans
Tackling ghost gear in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

While Interceptors can stop a vast majority of plastic flowing into oceans from rivers, another significant source we must address is lost fishing gear. The scale of this problem is immense; for instance, lost longline nets alone could stretch 750,000 km, equivalent to a round trip to the moon.

To tackle this, we are conducting extensive research to understand its origins. We have also joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) to actively shape policies and initiatives aimed at solving this critical environmental issue.

This is what progress toward clean oceans looked like in April

Tackling plastic pollution in Jakarta - Unfiltered

Indonesia hosts our first river Interceptor, Interceptor 001, in Jakarta’s Cengkareng Drain, alongside Interceptor 020 in the nearby Cisadane River.

Lessons learned from these deployments are now shaping future in-country and global efforts.

How we are tackling plastic pollution in Jakarta

Indonesia is a key focus of our 30 Cities Program, with planned deployments in Jakarta, Denpasar (Bali), and Tasikmalaya (West Java). The country already hosts our first river Interceptor, 001, in Jakarta’s Cengkareng Drain, and Interceptor 020 in the Cisadane River. Since deploying Interceptor 001 in 2019, we've partnered with local authorities and communities, adapting solutions to scale operations. Interceptor 020 exemplifies this adaptive approach, providing crucial insights for future efforts in Indonesia and worldwide.

Stay updated by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Learn more and support us at The Ocean Cleanup. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.

Stopping trash before it reaches the ocean in the Philippines

Interceptor deployments are planned for the Philippines as part of our 30 Cities Program.

The first Interceptor will be deployed in the Meycauayan River in the coming months. This aims to prevent trash from the Manila Bay Region from flowing into the ocean.

How to remove 6000 bottles from the environment for $10

This year, your monthly donation has approximately 2.5x the impact. Thanks to more Interceptors and efficient operations, we now collect significantly more trash for every dollar.

As our impact grows, so does yours. Take action today: https://visit.theoceancleanup.com/4twyITw. Note: No AI was used in the video; bottles are 3D animated for illustration.

A healthy Earth can only exist without ocean plastic pollution #earth #earthday

Help our mission reach like-minded people.

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Give a Beach Bottle by Max Romey

Inspired by a picture book, Max Romey journeyed to a remote Alaskan beach for marine debris, discovering a more complex story. Five years prior, an ocean plastics cleanup on Kayak Island left him overwhelmed. While the issue remains intricate, sharing the "big picture" now helps him envision collaborative solutions.

Learn more through Max's videos: No Lost Shoe, Give A Beach A Bottle, and Trailbound Alaska.

Two Minutes on Oceans w/ Jim Toomey: Marine Litter

UNEP has partnered with syndicated cartoonist Jim Toomey for a video series addressing ocean litter.

Trash, even from upstream, travels hundreds of miles to remote oceans, causing billions in damage and threatening marine life and human health.

The "Two Minutes on Oceans with Jim Toomey" series uses animation and humor to simplify complex scientific issues for the public. View additional videos at: www.rona.unep.org/toomey

A Plastic Ocean

Join a filmmaker and a world record free-diver on an epic global adventure.

They travel the earth, uncovering the shocking impact of plastic pollution on our oceans and marine life.

Plastic Pollution, our Oceans, our Future - #Film4Climate 3rd Prize Short Film Winner

"Plastic Pollution, Our Oceans, Our Future," a short film by Christopher Hanson (USA), secured 3rd Prize in the 2016 Film4Climate Global Video Competition, presented by Connect4Climate and partners.

This film features 17 Hawaiian students examining plastic pollution's impact on their beaches and envisioning a sustainable future for the oceans, as Hawaii considers banning single-use polystyrene.

For more information, visit the official Film4Climate website, see all winners, or read the World Bank press release.

Latest trash catch of Interceptor 023 in Honduras 🇭🇳

To date, we have successfully intercepted over 12,000 kg of trash.

We are continuously working on efficiency improvements to enhance these efforts.

Celebrating our 100th scientific publication on ocean plastic pollution

The Ocean Cleanup's Research team has reached a significant milestone, releasing 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications. Science is central to understanding ocean plastic pollution—its scale, sources, and behavior. This research has informed cleanup strategies, from mapping the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to identifying polluting rivers and understanding industrial fishing, helping trace pollution origins and guiding effective interventions.

As global cleanup efforts scale, our focus will shift from diagnosing the problem to measuring and demonstrating our impact. Committed to open science, all publications are publicly accessible on our website. Learn more about this achievement from Head of Research, Laurent Lebreton: https://visit.theoceancleanup.com/4mDjLML

Latest trash catch in Jamaica

Our work continues in Jamaica.

In Kingston, nine Interceptors prevent trash from flowing into the Caribbean Sea.

Where does the trash in rivers come from

Albatross film trailer by Chris Jordan

On a remote North Pacific atoll, albatross chicks are dying, their bodies filled with plastic.

Chris Jordan's film, "Albatross," unflinchingly portrays this tragedy, while also inspiring a deep appreciation for life on Earth.

March milestones and impact at The Ocean Cleanup

Thank you for your engagement.

We are actively working on exciting new developments and look forward to sharing them with you.

Please continue to follow our updates for more information. p>

Making Plastic Pollution History

Ocean cleanup is achievable, and we are steadily progressing towards eliminating plastic pollution.

While not currently in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP), our focus is on improving plastic hotspot prediction to enhance cleanup efficiency. This summer, we will return to the GPGP to test our advanced ocean models and drones.

50 million kg of trash are no longer polluting our rivers and oceans

We've reached a significant milestone, removing over 50,000,000 kg of trash from rivers and oceans globally.

Our Field Ocean Scientist, Peter Puskic, will help visualize the immense scale of this accomplishment.

Trash Tsunami in Guatemala Caught by Interceptor 006 #shorts

Interceptor 006 has achieved its first significant "catch" of the year. This successful operation took place in Rio las Vacas, Guatemala 🇬🇹, marking an important milestone for the unit.

This initial interception highlights ongoing efforts to combat illicit activities or environmental threats within the region. Further details are expected soon.

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The Thinking Game | Full documentary | Tribeca Film Festival official selection

“The Thinking Game” is the inside story of DeepMind's groundbreaking AI research, culminating in the Nobel Prize-winning AlphaFold breakthrough. Filmed over five years by the award-winning team behind "AlphaGo," this documentary explores co-founder Demis Hassabis's lifelong pursuit of artificial general intelligence and the rigorous scientific journey from mastering strategy games to solving the 50-year-old protein folding problem.

Following its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival, "The Thinking Game" is now available to watch for free. For those interested in hosting a screening for a classroom, community, or workplace, visit: rocofilms.com/films/the-thinking-game/.

 

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The Thinking Game | Full documentary | Tribeca Film Festival official selection