16t Giant Catch in Net... Turns Out to Be Plastic Waste

Massive Amount of Marine Debris Shocks Netizens
"The World's Wealthy Should Provide Support," Calls for Assistance

The nonprofit environmental engineering organization 'Ocean Cleanup,' headquartered in the Netherlands, recently released a video that captured the attention of internet users worldwide. The organization developed a new technology that uses nets to fish out plastic waste sunk in rivers and seas, and an enormous amount of trash was pulled up with just a single cast of the net.

On the 3rd (local time), Ocean Cleanup posted a video on its official social media channels titled "The amount of waste recently extracted." The video shows the organization's waste collection vessel casting a net to tow plastic sunk to the seabed. As a crane pulls up the net and dumps the trash onto the deck, a massive mountain of plastic is formed in an instant.

[Image source=Ocean Cleanup SNS]

The organization explained, "We pulled up 16 tons of plastic from the ocean," adding, "This waste will be recycled into durable, sustainable products to ensure it never re-enters the marine environment."

Internet users who saw the video expressed surprise at the fact that so much trash has sunk to the seabed. One user commented, "I've heard a lot about marine waste being a problem, but seeing it in an actual video like this really shows how serious it is." Voices urging action also emerged, such as "The whole world should fund this organization immediately," and "Wealthy individuals like Elon Musk need to step up."

Trash pulled out by the net. [Image source=Ocean Cleanup SNS]

Founded in the Netherlands, Ocean Cleanup is known for researching marine plastic and microplastic pollution. Their most famous activity is cleaning the marine environment. They use a machine that casts a net resembling a giant pipe into the sea to 'suck in' plastic waste and pull it to the surface. This machine was developed in-house by Ocean Cleanup and is called 'System 03.'

System 03 incorporates numerous advanced technologies to minimize the impact on marine ecosystems during the process of sucking in and towing waste. Underwater cameras and thermal imaging cameras installed beneath the vessel monitor whether marine life gets entangled in the net, and emergency exits are created to allow small fish sucked in with the trash to escape.

This carefully designed System 03 was officially introduced after years of rigorous engineering tests and is currently operating in various seas and riverbeds.