Upstream Horizon

Every year, a staggering 11 billion kilograms of plastic enter our oceans, with nearly 80% of it traveling there via rivers. Our mission is clear: stop the plastic at its source before it reaches the ocean.

our approach

CLEAN RIVERS TO CLEAN THE OCEANS

Rivers are the blue arteries of our planet. However, many of the world’s rivers and streams are severely affected by pollution, with plastic being one of the major culprits. To limit the amount of plastic pollution beyond the reach of collection and recycling that enters our oceans, we must remove it before it gets there. We believe that educating people, transforming companies, and actively cleaning our rivers are the most effective ways to stop plastic pollution from entering our environment.

Why carry on cleaning our oceans over and over again, spending billions of dollars every year if tomorrow we will dump even more plastic into the oceans? Wont be more effective and beneficial for the whole planet to stop the pollution before it reaches the oceans in the first place?

Think ocean on the horizon mission

Think Ocean’s stop-at-source technology will be deployed at the Danube River Basin Lighthouse test site, contributing to restoration of freshwater ecosystems and protecting the ocean

Location: Novi Sad, Serbia

Connected rivers: the Danube

The Danube is a major EU river at 2850 km, running through4 capital cities and emptying into the black sea.

Technology to be demonstrated: Stop and removal of floating and underwater plastic pollution.

Opportunities for impact: Novi Sad lies on the River Danube, between two protected wetland nature reserves, “Begacka jama” and “Koviljsko-petrovadinski rit” hich are approximately 15 km upstream and downstream of Novi Sad, respectively. In addition to the Danube, Begačka jama receives water from a drainage canal to the north, which runs close to a small unregulated landfill. In the area of Novi Sad, wastewater is directly discharged into the Danube, thus expected to show higher amounts of pollution than at the other demo sites. The removal solutions to be demonstrated at this site are in-river, where they can address the river pollution directly and realise impacts in the absence of WWTPs. Channels leave and join the Danube at many points along the river, providing areas of low flow and of increased turbulence.Monitoring and removal activities will be split between the upstream and downstream locations, in order to observe the impact of the city of Novi Sad, which is home to approximately 340,000 people with in its wider urban area.

key points

  • Can be constructed in a modular way to the specific size depending on the river's conditions.
  • It is capable of filling an 18 cubic yard dumpster in less than 2 hours and can remove more than 50,000 pounds of solid waste per day.
  • On demand collection of floating rubbish and debris -90% capture rate
  • Capable of unattended remote operation
  • Uses renewable power sources
  • Does not harm aquatic wildlife
  • Provides an opportunity for measurement and analysis of water pollutants and upstream mitigation efforts.
  • An attractive means for addressing an unsightly problem
  • Low operating costs
  • Does not require specialty service equipment or disposable refuse nets or other containers
  • High quality construction for reliability and durability.