Plastic Pollution Solutions

Passive Plastic Pollution Collection Methods

Bottle Boom – DIY Containment Barrier

Elastec Bottle Boom DIY Containment Boom

ELASTEC Bottle Boom is a debris collection barrier that anyone can use at home. The boom is supplied as an empty sleeve that the owner can stuff using sealed plastic bottles. The boom is then installed in a local small creek or waterway to collect floating trash and debris. The Bottle Boom is ideal for groups looking to complete a community service project, such as Scouting groups, 4-H clubs, schools, or any group concerned with environmental cleanup.

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PermaFence

Trash debris collection in California

You can use a variety of floating barriers for containing floating plastic. These booms may be homemade, ideally from the trash itself, or commercial types. Booms used for oil containment can be employed however they typically have deep skirts which are not always necessary. An example of an oil boom being used for trash is the PermaFence. This kind of “permanent” oil boom is made from heavy-duty belting with hard floats attached. These are preferable over lightweight response booms as they need to stay in the water for long periods of time, but any booming is good!

If you’ve got a small waterway, why not make your own boom! We’ve found a few on the internet, tie some plastic jugs together. Send us pictures of your efforts, we will be happy to share.

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Brute Boom

Orange Brute Boom

The Brute Boom is an example of a booming solution for a river with high currents and debris, its steel reinforced structure can hold back big loads, which can possibly be diverted to the bank or collection units. The Brute Bins that we have installed have collected hundreds of pounds of floating garbage but we want to do better. These systems present real opportunities for improvement.

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Brute Bin

Brute Bin trash collection device

The purpose of the Elastec Brute Bin is to capture floatables from stormwater conveyances and outfalls before they reach our waterways. In the United States, many Municipal Separate Stormwater Systems (MS4) are installing open water trash capture technologies, such as the Brute Bin, to reduce litter loadings into water. An evaluation of the installation site must first be conducted based upon the local hydrology, current flow speed, trash load levels, easy access for trash removal and maintenance as well as of the surrounding habitat environment.

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Active Plastic Pollution Collection Methods

Omni Catamaran

Trash skimming boat

Trash collecting boats have been around for years and there are many examples from water wheel driven units, to large and sophisticated boats with conveyor systems. Our own Omni Catamaran is on a the smaller scale, its simpler design allows for one man operation. We will be expanding and improving our boats to make them more accessible to more people, watch this page!

If you have your own boat we would love to see and share your designs.

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