Let’s tackle ocean pollution closer to the source.
Four keys to a cleaner ocean
Building awareness
Encouraging a plastic-conscious lifestyle.
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We need more knowledge and a deeper understanding of why cleaner rivers and cleaner oceans are important. Our ocean is our grandest source of clean water and clean air. We can not afford to mess it up and we can learn how to take better care of it. Less single-use plastic, more recycling, better waste management both at home and at the landfill. It is about changing attitudes and actions.
Plastic waste management
Improve the infrastructure for the proper handling of plastic.
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A proper handling of waste is vital in order to reach the goal of a cleaner ocean. Most countries have room for better infrastructures for the handling of waste. A lot of people around the Globe live in places with no waste-collection. Because they live in remote areas where trucks can’t go, or they can’t afford the cost. The waste in these areas are burnt in backyards or simply thrown in the nature. Sadly, even the collected waste is sometimes dumped in a river or in the ocean.
Deposit schemes
Cash for trash. See plastic as a resource. Circular economy.
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The value of used plastics should be raised. Even the plastics that is not easily recycled, should be worth collecting for the heroes doing this work. When people get paid to recycle plastic, they will do so. Rivers.Global will work to get deposit schemes up and running in more countries. In densely populated countries like China, Indonesia, The Philippines and Vietnam, deposit schemes would be a game-changer.
Clean-up actions
Cleaning up rivers, river-banks, beaches and more.
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Clean-up actions are only really effective when these preconditions apply: 1. Lots of plastics. 2. Easily accessible.
In many rivers, ports, beaches and of course on land both of them are present.
Clean-ups must always come after a collaboration with local waste treatment is established. There’s no need to clean up if the waste is not properly handled. Local people, such as community-groups, women’s groups, sports-teams, religious communities, schools and others can be challenged to do the actual clean-up. If you spend a Saturday cleaning up a river, a river-bank, a beach or a park, you will probably never ever throw away plastics in nature!
«River Cleaner» in the making!
It’s finally time to reveal our first sole project; a “River Cleaner”. Our “River Cleaner” uses the natural currents in the river to lead plastics and other debris into a large net that can swiftly be lifted and emptied on shore for sorting, recycling and further proper treatment. Drawings, test results, adjustments and impovements will be open source, accessible for anyone to copy free of charge. No copyrights! Meaning that the “River Cleaner” can be adopted free of charge by NGO’s, local and central Goverments, community groups, sports associations, religious groups, companies and more. Polluted rivers carry loads of garbage to the ocean every minute, we need to stop that! The River Cleaner can be produced anywhere in the world. Local production means local ownership and better sustainability. And no shipping across borders. Rivers.Global is now communicating with a Norwegian company in Vietnam for a co-operation in developing and producing a pilot for testing in real rivers with real pollution. See “Projects” for further details.
Illustration: Rivers.Global / Steinar Hillersøy Dyvik
Photographer Lekima Hung from Hanoi travelled his motorbike from north to south in Vietnam to document the vast challenges with plastic pollution in this region. Here are some of his photos.
