VIDEO: Epic Pacific Garbage Patch sweeper trials a success

The Ocean CleanUp has deployed its first large-scale, 800m system to clean up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and had the most successful haul yet. After encountering some initial problems in the first two weeks, the team has completed its most successful trial campaign since this mission began.

The clean-up system, known as System002 or ‘Jenny’, has been deployed for the longest duration yet, resulting in a larger plastic catch than previous tests. Jenny is the first full-scale system to be tested and measures 800 metres in length.

The test ‘sweeps’ began in early August, with more than 70 tests planned over six weeks.

The Ocean Cleanup is a non-profit organisation, which designs and develops clean-up systems to help rid the oceans of plastic.

Some initial setbacks meant Jenny had to be brought in and then redeployed during the earlier trials in August 2021.

“We’ve worked very hard for years. Through failures, successes, small successes. And now we are here with this big pile of plastic,” says senior project engineer Fedde Poppenk. “This is a good day. What a pile of trash.”

As reported in MIN, the Ocean CleanUp completed its first mission in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch back in January 2020 and in June of this year, the organisation unveiled its new system.

While the results look promising, the Ocean CleanUp says it’s “too early in the test campaign to draw conclusions on performance.”

The data is now being analysed while the team continues to find the optimal configurations for the new system.