Boyan Slat (27 July 1994) is a Dutch inventor and entrepreneur who founded the NGO The Ocean CleanUp to clean plastic waste in the ocean.
The Ocean Cleanup is a world-renowned non-profit engineering organization founded in 2013 by Dutch inventor Boyan Slat when he was just 18 years old. The foundation designs advanced, large-scale technologies to rid the world’s aquatic ecosystems of plastic pollution.
By August 2026, the initiative achieved a monumental historical milestone, officially capturing over 50 million kilograms (110 million pounds) of plastic trash from global oceans and rivers. Driven by an audacious long-term target, Slat intends to remove 90% of all floating ocean plastic by the year 2040.
Rather than relying on manual coastal sweeps, Slat’s strategy operates through a highly engineered two-pronged system that targets both the open seas and the primary choke points on land:
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Cleaning the Oceans (System 03): To tackle the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch (located between California and Hawaii), the organization deploys System 03. This is a massive, artificial floating barrier spanning roughly 2.2 kilometers (1.4 miles) in length. It acts like an artificial coastline, using computational modeling to actively “hunt” plastic hotspots and concentrate trash into a central retention zone without trapping marine wildlife.
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Blocking the Rivers (The Interceptors): The organization’s research revealed that roughly 1% of the world’s rivers are responsible for 80% of all ocean plastic influx. To block trash at the source, they deployed the Interceptor—solar-powered, autonomous barges that continuously scoop up floating waste before it can ever escape into open waters.
The project has scaled rapidly into a massive international operation backed by The Ocean Cleanup’s 30 Cities Program, a $121 million initiative funded by The Audacious Project to clear 30 of the most heavily polluted urban waterways on Earth:
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The Expansion into India & the Philippines: Operations have targeted critical hyper-polluted urban channels, deploying barrier networks in Mumbai, India (targeting the Trombay and Malad waterways), and forging structural alliances to clear the heavily choked Pasig River system in the Philippines.
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The Central American Front: The latest automated Interceptor 025 was deployed directly in the Río Matías Hernández in Panama City, aiming to intercept tonnes of urban trash from entering Panama Bay.
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The 2026 Pacific Data Expedition: Throughout July and August, specialized research vessels departed from Vancouver Island to test smart AI cameras and map natural marine life impact models right inside the heart of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.