These innovations are pulling plastic pollution out of rivers to stop it reaching our ocean.
Author: World Economic Forum
Plastic Fischerwas founded by three friends. They were spurred into action after seeing the scale of plastic pollution in the Mekong River in Viet Nam while on holiday. They quickly realized there was little active intervention to mitigate against the endless tide of plastic, so they decided to do something about it. Applying a principle of locally built, low-tech and low-cost, they created their “TrashBoom” – a floating barrage that is stretched across a river to capture plastic waste as the current takes it downstream. The TrashBoom consists of floats made from standard plastic piping, attached to wire mesh barriers that resemble fencing. The mesh barrier extends down into the water to capture pieces of plastic floating below the surface. Plastic Fischer says the simplicity of the TrashBoom means the device can be built, repaired and scaled quickly in emerging markets.