California

Massive Boom in Pacific Ocean Not Corralling Plastic Trash

A trash collection device deployed three months ago to corral plastic litter floating between California and Hawaii is not collecting any trash.

But Boyan Slat, who launched the Pacific Ocean cleanup project, told The Associated Press in an interview Monday he is confident the 2,000-foot (600-meter) long floating boom will be fixed.

The 24-year-old innovator from the Netherlands says one of the main issues is the plastic is not staying within the u-shaped boom with a net that hangs below the surface is the device's speed.

He says the boom is moving slower than the plastic, allowing the trash to float away.

Slat says a team of engineers is being sent out to sea to fix the speed problem.

He says he hopes the first load of trash will be hauled back to land by next summer.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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