Cookie preferences

With cookies, we can make your website experience better. We make use of functional, analytical and tracking cookies. Thanks to cookies, we can spot errors and clunky parts in the website, show more relevant advertisements, learn which content is most popular and what to share more about, show our videos embedded from YouTube, and more. Some cookies are strictly necessary for using our website, meanwhile, you can choose to opt out of tracking cookies. Read more about which cookies in privacy policy or in the settings link below.

Sign up for updates

Would you like to receive updates about our progress? Subscribe to our email list.

See our privacy policy to learn more about how we store your details.

  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube
  • Follow us on Linkedin
  • Follow us on Tiktok

Nice! 🎉

You’re all set. Keep an eye on your inbox for the first email—it’s on its way! If you don’t spot it, look into your spam folder or let us know, and we’ll figure it out together.


Glad to have you aboard!

Skip to content
The Ocean Cleanup
  • Projects
    • Publications
      Publications
    • Clean the ocean
      Clean the ocean
    • Other

      • Intercepting the rivers
      • Become a partner
      • Help as institution
  • Knowledge
    • Research
      Research
    • Scientific publications
      Scientific publications
    • Topics

      • The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
      • The costs of plastic pollution
      • The 1000 most polluted rivers
      • How plastic travels
  • Updates
    • Updates
      Updates
    • Podcasts
      Podcasts
    • Featured up-dates and podcasts

      • Mumbai Calling: The Ocean Cleanup and Bharat Clean Rivers Foundation Join Forces in India
      • A tale of 3 rivers: Intercontinental river research collaboration
      • The Ocean Cleanup announces Stacey Santoso as new CFO
  • Help clean
    • Donate
      Donate
    • Get merch
      Get merch
    • other ways to help

      • Become a partner
      • Become a citizen scientist
      • Help as institution
  • Careers
    • About us
    • Partners
    • FAQ
    • Contact
    • Press info
    • Media Gallery
  • Donate now
Donate landing

Updates

  • All updates
  • General
  • Research
  • Team
  • Engineering
  • Discussion
Engineering

System Design Upgrades Completed, to be Relaunched in June!!

After the root cause analysis was finalized, the engineering team began working on solutions that we can start trialing in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in June. The upgraded design,…

24 May 2019
Engineering, General

System 001 Learnings – Root Causes Summarized

In September, we launched our first system, with the aim of achieving proof of technology and commencing cleanup. Twenty years after the discovery of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, this…

29 March 2019
Engineering, General

Wilson Update – Tweaking the System

It has been four weeks since we deployed System 001 in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). In this time, we have observed that plastic is exiting the system once…

20 November 2018 Boyan Slat
Engineering

System 001 Assembly Completed

After six months of assembly, we can now announce that System 001 is officially complete. It is currently positioned entirely in the Seaplane Lagoon – the sheltered body of water…

1 September 2018
Engineering, General

The Final Design of the World’s First Cleanup System

On May 11th, 2017 we unveiled our new method to clean up the world's ocean garbage patches. Instead of having one massive cleanup system fixed to the seabed, we unveiled…

21 July 2018 Boyan Slat
In May 2018, a 120-meter section of the system successfully passed a tow test in the Pacific Ocean, being subjected to waves of up to 5 meters.
Engineering, Testing

Successful Tow Test Validates System 001 Seaworthiness

On May 19th, from our assembly yard in Alameda, a 120-meter section of our cleanup system was towed out of San Francisco Bay and into the Pacific to conduct a…

2 July 2018 Arjen Tjallema
Engineering, General

System 001 Assembly: 120-meter Tow Test Unit Completed

To meet our ambitious goals of deploying the first ocean cleanup system this summer, we are reminded of one of our basic design principles here at The Ocean Cleanup: doing…

11 May 2018
Hundreds of scale model tests were conducted throughout the years to refine the design and predict the behavior and performance of the system
Engineering, Testing

Looking Back on our Most Advanced Scale Model Test to Date

Before we share some great news on the System 001 assembly front, we wanted to provide you with an update on our recent scale model tests, the most advanced we…

7 May 2018 Arjen Tjallema
Engineering, General, Testing

Unscheduled Learning Opportunities on the North Sea

A new ocean cleanup prototype is being deployed on the North Sea today. It is one of the last steps as we prepare to launch the first cleanup system in…

20 February 2018 Boyan Slat
Engineering, Testing

New North Sea prototype successfully deployed

Moving towards the deployment of our first cleanup system in mid-2018, The Ocean Cleanup continues to test and verify system components. On August 29 we deployed the first part our…

31 August 2017 Arjen Tjallema
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. Next page

Follow us

  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube
  • Follow us on Linkedin
  • Follow us on Tiktok

Newsletter

Nice! 🎉

You’re all set. Keep an eye on your inbox for the first email—it’s on its way! If you don’t spot it, look into your spam folder or let us know, and we’ll figure it out together.


Glad to have you aboard!

The Ocean Cleanup
  • Technology
  • Milestones (OLD)
  • Updates
  • Scientific publications
  • Great Pacific Garbage Patch
  • Plastic Sources
  • Podcasts
About us
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Press
  • Media gallery
  • Partners
Help
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • FAQ
  • Contact
Legal
  • Privacy and Cookie Notice
  • Disclaimer
  • Donation Terms & Conditions
  • Foundation details
  • North Pacific Foundation

© 2025 The Ocean Cleanup. All rights reserved. THE OCEAN CLEANUP trademarks are registered trademarks, pending registration, or protected under common law, and owned by The Ocean Cleanup Technologies B.V.

4278