"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
28 Jul 2023
A Dutch startup called The Great Bubble Barrier has developed a low-fi way of preventing plastic pollution from entering rivers and oceans. The startup deploys a perforated tube on riverbeds to create a curtain of bubbles. The bubbles nudge waste towards the bank for collection, intercepting as much as 86% of flotsam in inland waters before it reaches the sea. The technology has proven surprisingly effective, snagging plastic particles as small as 1mm.
Every year, more than 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in our oceans, with 60-80% of it originating in rivers. The Great Bubble Barrier's design catches plastic over a river's full width and depth, directing it to a catchment system that collects and compresses the waste. The first bubble barrier was installed on a waterway in Amsterdam in 2019 and has prevented around 8,000 pieces of plastic from reaching the North Sea each month.
Following successful trials in the Netherlands, two more bubble barriers are now being planned for Portugal and Germany. The barriers operate 24/7, work regardless of water levels, and allow aquatic life and river traffic to pass unhindered. “Rivers are the highway to our oceans, transporting pollution all the way there,” said Francis Zoet, co-founder of the startup. The Great Bubble Barrier's solution is a simple yet effective way to tackle plastic pollution, with the potential to make a significant impact in the fight against plastic waste in our oceans and rivers.
