HCMR and NNL participated in the CLAIM project, battling for cleaner seas free of marine litter, aimed to create simple, clever and innovative ideas to combat this problem. NNL developed the CLEAN TRASH system to contain and collect litter from river mouths, preventing this pollution from reaching larger marine environments and breaking down into microplastics.

The system is an unparalleled and highly-efficient solution to manually managing and removing marine litter from river mouths before the litter can enter into a larger body of water where the litter can cause negative effects on the marine environments and where plastics can break into micro and macro-plastics dramatically affecting marine life and marine ecosystems. The system has a highly efficient storage design with multiple levels that can be remotely interchanged when filled.

The system utilizes a combination of active, advanced operational systems and time-tested oil spill response, salvage and marine protection equipment:

• Heavy-duty containment boom with solid cylindrical floats with a subsurface skirt contains and guides litter.

• Auxiliary fence type booms drive/deflect/pace incoming litter to the collection cage.

• A floating foundation attaches to the boom and holds the removable collection cage.

• The hot-dipped galvanized steel collection cage utilizes 3 separate collection chambers/levels that lower and raise to store the litter (down to 5 mm in size). The cage is equipped with lifting points and a sliding door.

• Independent floats utilize salvage technology to move the storage level. They can be raised and lowered by satellite when a level is filled.

• Remote operation and observation versions are available with the development of standalone models optional.

Systems are tailor-made for each installation environment and are intended to be designed in a range of shapes and sizes to meet the task at hand as efficiently and effectively as possible.

More Info here.