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Plastic Pollution
Research by the Strandloper Project confirms global studies indicating that over 90% of ocean plastic is derived from terrestrial sources. Our research suggest that poorly managed plastic pollution flows into the ocean from rivers and municipal infrastructure.
Flushed into municipal infrastructure from inappropriate dumping and storm water drains, existing filtering mechanisms are inappropriate for the capture of plastic pollution. In line pumps macerate plastic pollution in storm water drains and sewerage infrastructure which then flows out and is lost into rivers and the ocean.
Plastic Pollution Cleanup
Around the world the task of cleaning the beaches of washed up plastic pollution is tackled by public citizens, NGO's and municipal staff. The concern about the health risk and the degradation of aesthetics of shoreline lands scapes around coastal towns and villages in taken to heart by many of the residents and visitors.
Plogging, the combined activity of walking and collecting plastic trash, has become a pastime for many beachgoers. While the impact of daily cleanups along beaches is perceivable, the sad reality is that the unless the source of the washed plastic trash is stopped, beach cleanups will always be required, though they will never address the plastic pollution of the entire coastline.
To effectively reduce the amount of washed up plastic pollution, efforts are required to mitigate the flow of terrestrial plastic pollution into the ocean from municipal infrastructure and rivers.
Barrier to Plastic Pollution
In South Africa, some coastal municipalities and NGO's have installed and tested a variety of barriers. While they do reduce the flow of plastic from rivers and municipal infrastructure, current designs are not ideal with failures during high flow rates when they block and can't be be cleaned due to the increased pressure of water flow.
Floating booms and barrier nest across streams and rivers also offer a limited effect to preventing the flow of plastic pollution and often fail during high flow rates and during flood bursts.
Plastic Capture Innovation
In an attempt to inspire an efficient and functional method to capture and filter plastic pollution from municipal infrastructure, the Strandloper Project has launched a competition.
The Strandloper Project is inviting submissions of proof of concept designs for barriers that remove plastic and micro plastic pollution from the flow of effluent in municipal infrastructure. The design should be adaptable for a range of pipe diameters and self cleaning while still retaining efficiency during rain and flood surges.
Strandloper Project is currently raising funds to be able to present a cash prize to the winning submissions. We will also instigate negotiations with municipalities to install the devices into infrastructure.
Support our Plastic Capture Innovation Campaign
Even if you are unable to design a winning design to capture plastic and micro-plastic pollution in and from municipal infrastructure, you can donate to our crowd funding account to raise funds for the winning designs.
Help keep land based plastic out of the oceans.
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