Boyan Slat first proposed the giant Ocean Clean Up device – a floating array spanning many miles and capable of sucking up tons of trash every year – two years ago. An intriguing idea that caught a lot of people’s attention, not merely due to the fact that at the time, Boyan was only 17 years old and still in High School. Have a look at his TED talk in 2012.

He went to study at the University of Technology Delft in the Netherlands, and to be able to show the concept he envisioned was technically feasible and financially viable, Boyan Slat paused his life as a first-year Aerospace Engineering student, to focus all his time to developing the idea. In 2012, The Ocean Cleanup Array was awarded Best Technical Design at the University. Boyan Slat has been recognised as one of the 20 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs Worldwide (Intel EYE50).

On June 3rd 2014, The Ocean Cleanup presented the 530-page feasibility study report (authored by 70 people), which indicated the concept is indeed a feasible method to clean almost half the plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in just 10 years. It’s got the backing of 15 institutions, including universities and engineering groups. And it’s raised money: to date, $2,154,282 has been raised through a successful Crowd funding campaign.

Have a look at the latest presentation in NYC in June of this year where he presented the report and rally for money for the next stage: a fully operational pilot array that he hopes to put in the water within four years.

http://www.theoceancleanup.com/

http://www.fastcoexist.com/explore/feasibility-study-covering-technology