Tomorrow is the International Day of the Environment. On this occasion, we would like to take a look at an innovative and resource-saving project that could represent a milestone for cleaning up our oceans – the Manta.
In 2024, the sailboat is expected to set sail and pull plastic waste out of the water during its journey. According to calculations, up to three tons of plastic per hour will be collected.
But that’s not the innovation behind it, because there are now many projects to clean up the oceans – from robots that collect plastic in rivers and oceans to a giant floating barrier in the sea. But the Manta goes one step further. The collected plastic will be run on board through a so-called waste-to-energy machine to power the boat. So you could say that the trash collected will simultaneously help to collect more plastic waste.
The boat, which is currently still in the design phase, takes its name from the manta ray, which also served as its model. Like the ray, the boat “eats” trash as it floats, pulling the plastic up conveyor belts and allowing the trash to be separated.
In the process, workers aboard the boat pull aluminum and other materials out of the collected plastic, crushing it and turning it into pellets that can be used to generate electricity through evaporation. The boat is thus a floating realization of the circular economy, in which materials should not be wasted either.
In addition to being powered by electricity generated from the plastic, the Manta also has two large sails, two wind turbines and solar panels to make the most of renewable energy.
The non-profit organization behind the project, The SeaCleaners, would like to build more systems that can be used to collect and process waste if the concept phase is successful. This is to protect the environment and curb the waste of resources.
Post picture: The SeaCleaners