On chinadaily.com.cn

World: Solar vessel scoops up river plastic

Discarded plastic has long been a problem in the world's oceans. A Dutch foundation claims to have a solution. It tackles the menace at one of the major sources of plastic pollution - rivers. The Ocean Cleanup, a nongovernment organization that focuses its efforts in clearing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, has unveiled a solar-powered barge that stops plastics floating in rivers from reaching open water. The Interceptor is an autonomous system capable of extracting 50,000 kilograms of trash every day, and 100,000 kg under optimized conditions. Anchored to the riverbed, the vessel uses floating barriers to channel plastic to the barge. A conveyor belt then separates the garbage from the water which is then dumped into containers on a separate barge.

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