Ship returns to Victoria after removing 29 tonnes of plastic, plans to remove more
A crew of sailors with an ambitious goal of cleaning up the world's oceans of plastic are preparing to ramp up operations, after a successful test run in the Pacific.
The crew returned to Ogden Point in Victoria after collecting trash from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
"We've captured 29,000 kilograms (29 tonnes) of plastic," said Henk Van Dalen, ocean director for Ocean Cleanup.
The crew was greeted at Ogden Point after completing a 12-week test mission.
"We are currently in a phase where we have proof of technology," said Van Dalen.
That technology is a trash collecting system fondly referred to as "Jenny."
Jenny is pulled between two vessels and gathers ocean plastics in a compartment the size of a school bus.
(The Ocean Cleanup)
The collection system can pick up objects both large and small.
"Stuff that clearly comes from land," said Boyan Slat, CEO and founder of Ocean Cleanup. "Things like toothbrushes, handles of umbrellas. We cought a fridge as well as a mannequin."
Now that the system has proven to work, Ocean Cleanup is preparing for its next ambitious goal.
"The mission remains 90 per cent of the plastics out by 2040," said Joost Dubois, director of communications for Ocean Cleanup.
The goal will require a larger felt, and a few more tweaks.
"We want to expand the size of the system so we can capture more plastic," said Van Dalen. "Our models show if we have 10 of these systems we can clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch effectively."
If more ships are added, Ocean Cleanup – which is based out of the Netherlands and New York – says it will need another base of operation.
"This area proved to be suitable in the operations we've done thus far, so it's not unlikely that it could be in this area," said Van Dalen.
In the future, Victoria's Ogden Point could shift from a temporary home to a permanent one for this innovative project.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.