Ocean Plastic Cleanup: Gyres, Beach Programs, and Solutions

Introduction to Ocean Gyres and the Cleanup Array Proposal

A gyre is a large system of rotating currents within the ocean. There are five major gyres that are closely associated with global wind patterns. Stiv J. Wilson's article responds to a recent proposal known as the Ocean Cleanup Array, put forward by Boyan Slat. The idea behind this proposal is to position barges along the radius of the five major gyres and allow the ocean currents to carry the massive accumulations of plastic toward them. The barges would then collect the plastic, effectively cleaning the ocean, and recycle it.

Slat's proposal outlines what he presents as a relatively straightforward solution: harvest the plastic and do so without harming marine life. He estimates that it would take at least five years per gyre to effectively clean up the plastic. At least part of the cost, he argues, could be recouped by recycling the estimated 7,250,000,000 kg of plastic currently in the ocean.

Wilson's Critique of the Ocean Cleanup Array

Wilson views the proposal as far too simplistic. He argues that the problem is much more complex than Slat acknowledges and that the proposal amounts to little more than sending collectors out to pick up garbage. Wilson offers four key objections to the Ocean Cleanup Array:

First, no serious scientist or policy expert believes that "gyre cleanup programs" — and the Ocean Cleanup Array is not the first such program — are realistic, because they create the false impression that society can continue to consume and litter and simply clean it up afterward.

Second, the ocean is too vast, the currents too unpredictable, and positioning barges at the edges of a gyre too dangerous for this solution to be practical. When efforts similar to the Ocean Cleanup Array have been attempted in the past, they did not succeed — crews were forced to abandon their work.

Third, despite claims that marine life would be spared during such a cleanup, this is not the case. Plankton move with ocean currents, and the animals that feed on plankton follow them, as do the predators above them in the food chain. More realistic assessments of such proposals indicate that a large-scale gyre cleanup operation would pose serious dangers to marine animals.

Fourth, the idea that recycling the collected plastic could feasibly offset the cost of the operation is unrealistic, given how little revenue could actually be generated relative to the enormous difficulties of collecting plastic at sea, transporting it to recycling facilities, and processing it.

Evaluating Wilson's Arguments

Many aspects of Wilson's critique are persuasive. His explanation of how plastic breaks down in the ocean and his examples of previous failed cleanup efforts are convincing. Wilson does not dispute that ocean plastic pollution is a major issue with serious long-term consequences. He clearly establishes that the so-called "garbage patches" — concentrations of plastic carried by ocean currents — are not simply there for the taking. Any attempt to collect them directly would be enormously expensive and dangerous, and it is doubtful that such an operation could be effectively organized on the scale required.

Wilson's Alternative: Gyre Memory and Beach Cleanups

So what does Wilson propose instead? He introduces the concept of gyre memory. With each orbit of a gyre, roughly half of its contents are expelled. Those contents either drift into other gyres or wash up on land. Wilson therefore argues that there is no need to venture into the open ocean to retrieve plastic — it will eventually come to shore on its own. He advocates organizing large-scale beach cleanup programs to collect this material as it arrives.

Beyond beach cleanups, Wilson believes that the fundamental solution to ocean plastic pollution is to dramatically reduce the production of plastic products and to change consumer behavior. He calls for public involvement in cleanup campaigns, advocacy to eliminate products that generate the problem, and pressure on corporations to take responsibility for the waste their products create.