Cleaning up the Pacific Garbage Patch — one trawler at a time

The World

Eradicating the swirling gyre of plastic trash in the Pacific Ocean has been the longtime goal of one nonprofit group called Ocean Cleanup. On Monday, in Victoria, British Colombia, the group took a big step forward in their effort to haul plastic out of the ocean using retrofitted fishing trawlers and specialized nets. Host Marco Werman talks with the head of Ocean Cleanup, Boyan Slat, about the 120,000 pounds of plastic his group just pulled out of the Pacific Ocean.

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!