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
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.