PROJECT STORY
The challenge
In 2017, The Klang River passed 6,537 tonnes of plastic from large cities out to the sea
The Ocean Cleanup InterceptorTM project
Integrating environmental innovation and engineering services
The solution
Plan to tackle 1000 rivers around the world with the help of the InterceptorTM, and demonstrating how an innovative, solar powered, floating system can remove plastic and other debris from rivers.
The impact
Halting 80% of plastic from entering the world’s oceans will improving quality of life for animals and humans all around the world.
1,000
global rivers to tackle
1.15 – 2.41m tons
of plastic to remove
5 years
targeted
The challenge
Every year, millions of tons of plastic make their way through streams and rivers, eventually joining the masses of legacy plastic already in our oceans. The economic costs of marine pollution are estimated to be between $6-19bn USD annually due to the impact of this pollution on tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, and government cleanups. Tackling the issue of years' worth of plastic waste that is already in the ocean will be a monumental task, but one way we can start contributing today is by stemming the flow of new plastic into the ocean. With this goal in mind, the Ocean Cleanup retained Arcadis to assist in the assembly, installation, and commissioning of the innovative ocean Interceptor device.
The solution
In order to address this threat to global waters, The Ocean Cleanup developed the Interceptor™, an innovative, solar-powered, floating system that removes plastic and other debris from rivers. Arcadis was involved in the assembly, installation and commissioning of the Interceptor™ for the “Pilot Project- River Plastic Interception” in Malaysia’s Klang River. The Arcadis Malaysia team led this project, providing project management support and stakeholder management services and also collaborating with the Arcadis Singapore team to provide a comprehensive environmental impact assessment report.
The impact
Through this project, Arcadis’ environment team demonstrated how the Interceptor™ enhanced the current system of plastic waste removal in the Klang River and the connected estuary. By using the design of the Interceptor™ and analyzing both physical, biological and social factors, Arcadis is supporting this pioneering effort to address the massive problem of plastic waste in rivers and oceans. The Ocean Cleanup plans to tackle 1000 rivers around the world with the help of the Interceptor™, with the aim of reducing the amount of plastic entering oceans each year by 80%. By contributing to the Ocean Cleanup’s effort to drastically reduce the amount of plastic polluted into oceans, we are improving quality of life for both animals and people all around the world.
