Boyan Slat: A Dutch teen who turned a school project into a mission to remove 90% of ocean plastic by 2040

Boyan Slat is a Dutch inventor and entrepreneur, born on 27th July 1994. He is the founder of a non-profit organisation known as The Ocean Cleanup. This organisation focuses on developing innovative technologies to clean the world’s oceans and remove plastic debris efficiently. Boyan’s organisation also focuses on the removal of 90% of the ocean’s plastic by the year 2040. Additionally, it aims to significantly reduce the amount of plastic entering the oceans from rivers worldwide. Boyan’s efforts have received widespread international acclaim, with Boyan being recognised as the youngest United Nations “Champion of the Earth” for his visionary environmental initiatives.His innovative approach combines engineering, environmental science, and global collaboration, inspiring millions worldwide to tackle plastic pollution effectively, sustainably, and with long-term measurable impact.According to The Ocean Cleanup, Slat was born and raised in the Netherlands. He attended Delft University of Technology, majoring in aerospace engineering. When Slat was 16 years old, in 2011, he joined a SCUBA diving trip to Greece. While Slat was underwater, he noticed a lot of plastic waste. The experience inspired him to research the issue and possible solutions. Slat turned this experience into a research project for his high school work, which focused on possible technologies for cleaning plastic from the ocean.In 2012, Slat gave a talk at TEDx Delft. The talk was not well-known until news organisations and blogs picked up the story. The talk eventually went viral. The talk gave Slat the impetus to start a crowdfunding project that raised $2 million from 38,000 contributors from 160 countries. The money allowed Slat to start The Ocean Cleanup officially in 2013.The organisation’s approach is twofold. First, it focuses on collecting existing plastic pollution in oceanic gyres, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Slat and his team developed passive floating systems that use natural ocean currents to concentrate and capture plastic debris. These systems, referred to as Systems 001 and 002, underwent multiple iterations, with System 002 achieving proof of technology in 2021. In a single deployment, System 002 reportedly collected 20,000 pounds of ocean waste.Second, the organisation addresses the source of pollution. PubMed research indicates that approximately 1,000 rivers contribute roughly 80% of ocean-bound plastic. To intercept waste before it enters the oceans, The Ocean Cleanup developed the Interceptor, a solar-powered device deployed in rivers. These Interceptors capture floating plastic and transport it to storage facilities for proper disposal or recycling.The Ocean Cleanup is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and employs over 120 staff from more than 30 countries. Slat continues to serve as CEO while remaining actively involved in scientific research and technological development. He has co-authored several scientific publications and holds multiple patents related to ocean cleanup technologies.The organisation monitors and reports its progress publicly through an Impact Dashboard, which tracks deployments in oceans and rivers and quantifies the amount of plastic removed.Since its inception, The Ocean Cleanup project has managed to achieve tangible results. The evidence of the technology of both river interception and ocean cleanup proves the viability of the project in terms of removing plastic from the ocean. The organisation has deployed several of its Interceptors in various rivers worldwide, while it still maintains its systems in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.The ultimate goal of the project is to clean up 90% of the floating ocean plastic by 2040. Even though there are still some hurdles to be crossed, such as the longevity of the systems in the harsh environment of the ocean, as well as the constant flow of plastic into the ocean from the rivers, the project is working towards its goals by combining science, engineering, and strategy.Slat’s contributions have been recognised globally. The United Nations recognized him as a “Champion of the Earth,” which is a testament to the effect of his innovation on the environment. The Ocean Cleanup is still expanding its activities with the aim of reducing the global threat of plastic pollution in the ocean.The project shows evidence of technological innovation as well as strategic planning to address the issue of plastic waste in the ocean as well as the issue of preventing plastic from getting into the ocean.