When self-described “ocean custodian” Boyan Slat took the stage at TED 2025 In Vancouver this week, he revealed to his audience a harsh truth that many of us know all too well: The oceans are inundated with an overwhelming amount of waste.
"If we let present tendencies persist, the quantity of plastics pouring into the oceans is projected to increase twofold by the year 2060," stated Slat during his TED Talk, scheduled for future release online.
Moreover, when plastic enters the ocean, it gathers within massive circulating systems known as "gyres." These gyres function similarly to the drainage system of a bathtub according to Slat; they allow plastic to flow into them but prevent it from escaping.
That's how enormous accumulations occur, such as the one mentioned. Great Pacific Garbage Patch , an enormous accumulation of plastic pollution in the sea that spans approximately two times the area of Texas.
As the founder and chief executive officer of The Ocean Cleanup Slat aims to restore our oceans to their pristine condition by 2040. Achieving this requires addressing two key areas.
First: Prevent additional plastics from reaching the oceans. Second: Remove the " legacy" pollutants that persist in the environment without natural degradation.
And Slat is well on his journey.
When Slat’s first TEDx Talk In 2012, his work went viral, enabling him to assemble research groups to produce the very first map of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Building on this, they developed a technology designed to retrieve plastics from the parts of the ocean with the highest concentrations of debris.
"We envisioned an extremely lengthy, U-shaped barrier… one that would be propelled by both wind and waves," Slat stated during his talk.
This obstacle will serve as a channel to gather waste and be periodically cleared out for recycling purposes.
However, there was an issue.
We launched it into the sea, but it failed to gather any plastic," Slat stated, "and this is a crucial criterion for an effective ocean cleanup mechanism.
Shortly thereafter, the initial system split into two parts. However, just a few days later, his team had returned to the design phase.
Starting from this point, they introduced vessels designed to pull the system forward. This enabled it to cover a broader region and navigate through the water with greater precision. A mesh connected to the barrier would capture the plastic debris and direct it towards a collection zone. Here, the waste material would be removed, transferred to a vessel, sorted, processed, and eventually recycled.
It worked.
"For six decades, humans have been depositing plastics into the oceans, yet as of that day, we began not only adding but also removing them," Slat stated, with a demonstration video showcasing the technology rolling out behind him.
Amidst clapping, he remarked, "This is truly the most stunning sight I have ever witnessed, genuinely."
Throughout the years, Ocean Cleanup has increased this cleanup barrier , now extending to nearly 2.5 kilometers — or approximately 1.5 miles — in length. It also clears an ocean surface equivalent to a football field every five seconds.
The system is created with safety measures for marine organisms in mind, and after plastics are retrieved onto shore, they are processed into various new items. sunglasses , accessories for electric vehicles , and even Coldplay’s latest vinyl record , according to Slat.
These items support the ongoing cleanup efforts. The subsequent phase of the initiative involves employing drones to pinpoint regions in the ocean with the greatest accumulation of plastics.
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In September 2024 , The Ocean Cleanup estimated that the Patch would be cleared out within a decade.
On April 8, Slat projected that "this system could clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within just five years."
With ongoing support from MCS , a Nokia company based in the Netherlands, Ocean Cleanup can rapidly expand its effective, real-time data and video communication capabilities to more accurately address the issue.
This marks the biggest ocean cleanup in history.
However, what about the plastic pollution entering the oceans via rivers worldwide? The Ocean Cleanup project is addressing this issue as well.
To examine plastic contamination in various water bodies, Ocean Cleanup installed AI-equipped cameras onto bridges. assessing the amount of waste flowing through numerous rivers globally , developing the initial worldwide model to forecast where plastics are being introduced into the oceans.
"We found out that just 1 percent of the world's rivers account for approximately 80 percent of the plastic waste flowing into our oceans," Slat stated.
His group discovered that coastal cities in middle-income nations were mainly at fault, since residents there possess sufficient affluence to purchase goods wrapped in plastic, yet their administrations lack the funds for comprehensive waste disposal systems.
The Ocean Cleanup project now focuses on these 1% of rivers to intercept plastics before they reach the ocean.
It doesn’t replace the crucial albeit slower efforts aimed at repairing the flawed system further upstream," Slat stated. "However, we think addressing this one percent of rivers gives us the sole opportunity to quickly bridge the gap.
To address plastic pollution in rivers, Ocean Cleanup has deployed technology known as " interceptors , featuring solar-powered waste collection units and portable systems across eight nations globally.
In Guatemala, an interceptor Captured 1.4 million kilograms (or more than 3 million pounds) of garbage in less than two hours. This type of cleanup occurs up to three times each week now.
"All of that could have ended up in the ocean," Slat stated.
Currently, interceptors are being deployed to 30 cities globally with the aim of focusing on waterways that contribute the largest amount of waste to our seas. The GPS tracking devices emulate the movement of plastics to assist in optimizing the placement of these systems for maximum effectiveness.
"We can already prevent approximately one-third of all ocean-bound plastics from entering the seas once these systems are implemented," Slat stated.
The moment he concluded his talk on the TED stage, Slat was informed that this was part of TED’s Audacious Project Would provide financial support for deploying The OceanCleanup’s initiatives in those 30 cities as part of the organization’s upcoming group of grant recipients.
Although it remains uncertain how much backing The Ocean Cleanup will get from The Audacious Project, Chris Anderson, who leads TED, shared with Slat, "We're motivated. Our community here is committed to raising the funds required for your initiative to cover those 30 cities."
And Slat is personally committed to ridding the oceans of pollution once and for all.
"For humanity to flourish, we must maintain an optimistic outlook for what lies ahead," Slat stated as he concluded his talk.
“After the oceans are pristine once more, it will serve as an example of how, with determination and creativity, we can tackle and resolve the major challenges of our era.”
Header image courtesy of The Ocean Cleanup Project
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