Promising Solutions to Plastic Pollution

According to the world economic forum, about 8 billion kilograms of plastic makes its way into our oceans each year.

Once there, the plastic breaks down into smaller particles and causes serious problems for marine environments and wildlife.

Now, a crop of brilliant young inventors have created new technologies that could help reverse decades of plastic pollution.

 

@ The Great Bubble Barrier

A Dutch startup founded by three young women has come up with a simple yet effective way to stop plastic waste from flowing into the sea.

The idea behind the Great Bubble Barrier is straightforward.

A long tube with many small holes is placed horizontally at the bottom of the canal.

Then, compressed air is pumped into the tube, releasing a wall of small bubbles that float to the surface.

The bubbles act as a barrier that keeps plastic waste in one place until it can be removed from the water.

 

@ Removing Micro-plastics

A teen from Ireland designed a new method to remove micro-plastics - plastic particles less than five millimeters in diameter -  from water.

Combining oil and magnetite powder, Fionn Ferreira created a fluid that attracts and traps any micro-plastics it comes into contact with.

Because the magnetite in the fluid is magnetic, it can be sucked out of the water using powerful magnets.

As a reward for his hard work, Google recently awarded Ferreira a scholarship prize of 50 million won.

 

@ Ocean Cleanup Interceptor

Boyan Slat, a 25-year-old Dutch inventor, has unveiled a new tool in the fight against plastic pollution.

The Ocean Cleanup Interceptor is a solar-powered floating platform that collects plastic waste from rivers.

It uses a floating barrier stretched across the river to guide plastic into its mouth.

The plastic is then transported via conveyor belt into one of six dumpsters on-board, which must be emptied every few days.

So far, the Interceptor has been deployed in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

 

• Promising |prɑːmɪsɪŋ  유망한, 촉망되는, 조짐이 좋은 Promise 약속하다 , …일 것 같다, …의 조짐을 보이다 break down  (열거나 하기 위해) ~을 부수다

• a crop of 잇달은 a crop of disasters/injuries 속출하는 재난/부상  straightforward |streɪt│fɔːrwərd 간단한, 쉬운, 복잡하지 않은 (=easy)

• pumped 배가 튀어나온, 임신한 ,열성적인, 열의 있는, 과장된, 허풍의(up )   pump pʌmp 펌프 (→stomach pump) / (물공기 등을 펌프로) 퍼 올리다[퍼내다]

• compress 압축하다[되다], 꾹 누르다[눌러지다]  waste weɪst 낭비하다 , (사람을 보통 죽임으로써) 제거하다  diameter daɪˈæmɪtə 지름 (→radius)

• fluid ˈfluːɪd 유체(流體), 유동체  / 부드러운, 우아한 (=flowing)  come into …의 상태가 되다[들어가다](=enter).  (유산으로) ~을 물려받다

• suck sʌk (액체공기 등을) 빨아 먹다[마시다] / 빨기, 빨아 먹기, 빨아들이기  Interceptor |ɪntər│septə 요격기

• unveil ˌʌnˈveɪl 덮개를 벗기다[제막식을 하다]  (새로운 계획·상품 등을) 발표하다 (=reveal)    on-board 선상(船上)의, 기내의, 차내의

• dumpster dʌ́mpstər [미] 덤프스터 ((금속제의 대형 쓰레기 수집 용기, 상표명))([영] skip)  deploy dɪˈplɔɪ (군대·무기를) 배치하다