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
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.