Clean Up the Trash Floating in Our Oceans
As the Director of Business Development and Marketing for the Environmental Cleanup Coalition (ECC), a nonprofit, non-governmental agency founded in 2008, I am requesting your support. Our mission is to remove the plastic debris accumulating in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre, while also finding ways to revitalize the health of our marine environment that has been greatly impacted by this trash. We are an action-oriented group of concerned individuals coming together to educate and bring awareness about the dangers of plastic in our water. Our focus is on creating a community built around the passion of action and the love of the oceans. This will span across industries, specialties and countries! It all begins with your help. ECC is an independent environmental organization with 501(c)(3) tax status (application in process), so all donations are tax deductible. For more information about tax deductions we recommend you talk with your tax advisor. ECC is jointly based out of Santa Cruz, California and Maui, Hawaii.
For those of you that don't know, the North Pacific Gyre is a large stretch of ocean between Japan and the West Coast of The United States of America. A gyre is described as a vortex of ocean currents that form a swirling pattern and there are several of these areas in each of our oceans. As of today, it is estimated to have 3.5 million tons of plastic debris trapped in this wind and ocean current. Although, this plastic pollution is a growing problem in each of the gyres, our aim is to start with the NPG and then replicate the process over time to all the world's oceans.
One of the proposed cleanup methods I have developed involves purchasing an old Cargo Container Ship and retrofitting it with the specialized equipment to collect the variety of trash pieces located in the gyre. The ship is designed to work in three stages and is geared at collecting more then 30,000 tons of trash per trip.
Stage 1 - Collection of Large Pieces of Trash
One to three boats will be lowered by a crane from the bow of the ship. These boats will search at the head of the ship for any trash larger then 3-ft in size. Pulling the trash up and placing it in a dump basket on the boat. When the basket is full the boat returns to the ship and the crane lifts the basket over a cargo container with a retractable roof and dumps the trash out. The basket is then lowered back to the boat to be refilled. The cable on the crane will have extra length to allow for the towing of extra large pieces directly on to the ship.
Stage 2 - Collection of Medium Pieces of Trash
Floating platforms will be lowered on both sides of the ship as work stations. On the front of the platform is a wire conveyor belt that will be dropped into the water. The belt pulls up any thing larger then 3inches in size and dumps it on a rubber conveyor belt running the length of the platform. Workers alongside the conveyor will pull any sea life off the belt and return it to the sea. The rubber belt leads to a lift belt that dumps the trash in to a shoot on the top of the ship. The shoot leads to the sorting belt where the trash is separated by recycling classifications. The trash is then sorted and compacted into cubes, except glass, and loaded into cargo containers.
Stage 3 - Collection of Micro Bits of Trash
At the back of the ship large bellow pumps suck up the polluted water through remotely geared hoses, 5 inches in diameter. The water is pored onto a screen conveyor belt that allows the water to pass through and collects the small bits of trash. Workers check the trash for any sea life that might have got pumped up with the trash and moves it to a troth under the belt that will immediately return it to the sea behind the ship.The Trash is then Piped into Cargo Containers.
Once the Cargo containers are full, the crane will lift the boats back onboard and the ship will head to port. The cargo container will then be loaded onto trucks that will drive them to the recycling centers. Empty containers would then be loaded for the next trip.
This process is then repeated again and again.
John Kuczwara
Director of Business Development and Marketing
The Environmental Cleanup Coalition
www.gyrecleanup.org
As the Director of Business Development and Marketing for the Environmental Cleanup Coalition (ECC), a nonprofit, non-governmental agency founded in 2008, I am requesting your support. Our mission is to remove the plastic debris accumulating in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre, while also finding ways to revitalize the health of our marine environment that has been greatly impacted by this trash. We are an action-oriented group of concerned individuals coming together to educate and bring awareness about the dangers of plastic in our water. Our focus is on creating a community built around the passion of action and the love of the oceans. This will span across industries, specialties and countries! It all begins with your help. ECC is an independent environmental organization with 501(c)(3) tax status (application in process), so all donations are tax deductible. For more information about tax deductions we recommend you talk with your tax advisor. ECC is jointly based out of Santa Cruz, California and Maui, Hawaii.
For those of you that don't know, the North Pacific Gyre is a large stretch of ocean between Japan and the West Coast of The United States of America. A gyre is described as a vortex of ocean currents that form a swirling pattern and there are several of these areas in each of our oceans. As of today, it is estimated to have 3.5 million tons of plastic debris trapped in this wind and ocean current. Although, this plastic pollution is a growing problem in each of the gyres, our aim is to start with the NPG and then replicate the process over time to all the world's oceans.
One of the proposed cleanup methods I have developed involves purchasing an old Cargo Container Ship and retrofitting it with the specialized equipment to collect the variety of trash pieces located in the gyre. The ship is designed to work in three stages and is geared at collecting more then 30,000 tons of trash per trip.
Stage 1 - Collection of Large Pieces of Trash
One to three boats will be lowered by a crane from the bow of the ship. These boats will search at the head of the ship for any trash larger then 3-ft in size. Pulling the trash up and placing it in a dump basket on the boat. When the basket is full the boat returns to the ship and the crane lifts the basket over a cargo container with a retractable roof and dumps the trash out. The basket is then lowered back to the boat to be refilled. The cable on the crane will have extra length to allow for the towing of extra large pieces directly on to the ship.
Stage 2 - Collection of Medium Pieces of Trash
Floating platforms will be lowered on both sides of the ship as work stations. On the front of the platform is a wire conveyor belt that will be dropped into the water. The belt pulls up any thing larger then 3inches in size and dumps it on a rubber conveyor belt running the length of the platform. Workers alongside the conveyor will pull any sea life off the belt and return it to the sea. The rubber belt leads to a lift belt that dumps the trash in to a shoot on the top of the ship. The shoot leads to the sorting belt where the trash is separated by recycling classifications. The trash is then sorted and compacted into cubes, except glass, and loaded into cargo containers.
Stage 3 - Collection of Micro Bits of Trash
At the back of the ship large bellow pumps suck up the polluted water through remotely geared hoses, 5 inches in diameter. The water is pored onto a screen conveyor belt that allows the water to pass through and collects the small bits of trash. Workers check the trash for any sea life that might have got pumped up with the trash and moves it to a troth under the belt that will immediately return it to the sea behind the ship.The Trash is then Piped into Cargo Containers.
Once the Cargo containers are full, the crane will lift the boats back onboard and the ship will head to port. The cargo container will then be loaded onto trucks that will drive them to the recycling centers. Empty containers would then be loaded for the next trip.
This process is then repeated again and again.
John Kuczwara
Director of Business Development and Marketing
The Environmental Cleanup Coalition
www.gyrecleanup.org
the problems we face in the oceans wont be solved overnight but every night we dont try to help more trash is carried away to the sea.
One of the National newspapers here in the uk recently ran an editorial on how plastic waste is affecting the existence of marine life. Graphic pictures brought home a terrifying fact that so many species are being affected and ultimately threatened by our waste plastics. Anything your organisation can do to raise awareness across the world of the consequences of thoughtless trashing has got to be a winner for me. You have my total support
Having seen many documentaries about the horrendous hazards of plastic and other waste on marine life, I find it very heartening to hear that an organisation now exists that is actually going to do something about it and start 'cleaning up our mess!'
when i first heard of this, it struck a plastic chord in my plastic body, it was horrific, and i have looked at everything in a whole different way, and want to make my life less 'plastic' and more biodegradable...this needs to happen. now.
Cleaning our oceans will be safer for the animals to drink out of and for the mammals that live in it doesn't have to suffer for other people's mistakes.I am a 13 year old who would love to keep our waters free of toxic waste.I think us as people should try to help do that.
If we do not come to grips with the fact that the ocean provides more wealth to our planet than almost any other biological treasure, we will definitely reap the grim benefits of what we are sowing! This is a global problem...if there is ANY cause that deserves every nations', every continents', every invidividuals' attention, IT IS THIS CAUSE! Do your job(s) and take care of this problem...you will definitely have my support and that of many OTHER INTELLIGENT LIFE FORMS!
We as humans are supposed to be guardians of this beautiful; plant, and yet for some unknown reason believe we have the right to destroy and desecrate it....?
If we dont act NOW what do we leave for our children?
i dont want all the sea life to die
Ever since I have learned about the "eastern garbage patch" I have wanted to do more than just picking up the litter I see in my community. I am happy to support this large scale effort to remove the trash from the oceans.
Life on earth depends upon a healthy ocean ecosystem. We can't afford to wait on this issue.
I want to help clean up the trash floating in our oceans and make people aware of what they are doing to all the creatures that live in the ocean. They are the only ones that can stop it.
The world needs to awaken and realize the damage that humanity has done to the planet. A city to the planet is like skin cancer to a human! It is time to take action!
the Oceans are what we have left that is Natural.. Please Help save our Oceans and our Wildlife that live there.
This is a total disgrace, and, even more frightening is the fact that so many people are blissfully ignorant of it and, if they do know, take the attitude that they cannot do anything about it, so what! WE MUST take action!!!!!
The government's LAME excuse for not addressing this issue is "it will harm marine life living amongst the plastic" I believe that... 1. Any marine life that is there is stuck or trapped. 2.The marine life that is there WAS there before the plastic. 3. WILL be there after it is cleaned up. So, the real question should be.. is our government breeding alien life forms there? and even if they are, WE DON'T WANT IT!! CLEAN IT UP!!!
We all have a responsibility to clean up this mess. Lets make everyone aware of it and do something positive about it. Next time you buy plastic, ask if you can do without it? And make enquiries about the recycling process in your town or city. Start caring.
the oceans,supply humans with food and leisure activities,the oceans,seas and lakes,rivers all need to be cleaned up and kept clean,also fishing should be cut back,so fish stock can be preserved for future food source
I am horrified at what the human race has done to the environment; we need to begin cleaning up the mess we have made. Wildlife has begun to feel the impact of our actions, and it is only a matter of time before we experience the ramifications. We only have 1 earth, and it is critical that we begin to nurture it instead of ourselves.
I am horrified at what the human race has done to the environment; we need to begin cleaning up the mess we have made. Wildlife has begun to feel the impact of our actions, and it is only a matter of time before we experience the ramifications. We only have 1 earth, and it is critical that we begin to nurture it instead of ourselves.
I grew up on the West Coast. The ocean is powerful, beautiful and essential. It is home to an untold multitude of creatures. There is still so much mystery surrounding the ocean that we are destroying so rapidly. We must stop.
This is one of the saddest things i've ever seen. We are ruining such an important part of our planet. Please help us clean up this "garbage island." please,please!
Save the planet!
CLEAN UP TRASH FORM OCEANS AND CLEAN UP BEACHES SO IT DOES NOT GO BACK INTO THE OCEAN - INTERNATIONAL OCEAN DAY JUNE 6TH IT'S OFFICIAL - PEOPLE GIVE MORE THOUGHT AND CARE - MAMMALS ARE AVING BRAIN TUMOURS DUE TO CONTAMINATED WATERS - IT'S NOT ON!
I am terribly saddened to learn of this disaster that the human race has created. You are wished every blessing in organizing and carrying out this awesome clean up endeavor. I will do all that I can to encourage others to reduce and recycle and snap out of the state of apathy in which too many of us seem to live!
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12:59 pm PDT, May 25,
Susan Marden, Maine
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