This Ocean Cleanup System Just Passed One Million Kilograms of Plastic

One million kilograms is both a huge number and, the project's own scientists note, a rounding error against the total. The milestone matters for a different reason: the system worked through a full winter without major failure.

The manifest of the millionth haul tells a story: 46% fishing gear, 22% consumer plastic, and a startling 9% single-use sachets. Organisers say the data is reshaping what they target next.

The next-generation array launches in spring, designed to catch gear at the source — the nets' drift paths, not just their wreckage.

“The floating array crossed the milestone last week. Half of the haul, it turns out, was fishing gear — and most of it never came from rivers.”