Cleaning rivers from plastic pollution with bubbles

Our Bubble Barrier catches plastic over the fu­ll width and depth of rivers and prevents plastic from ending up in the ocean. The system does not interfere with regular river activities and is operational 24/7.

COMMISSIONED BY

COMMISSIONED BY

OUR TECHNOLOGY

A smart solution to plastic pollution

The bubble curtain is created by a perforated tube on the bottom of the waterway where air is pumped through. This generates a screen of bubbles that blocks plastics and directs suspended plastics to the surface. The diagonal placement of the bubble curtain in the waterway guides plastic waste to the side and into the catchment system.

Are you ready to take action?
Send us an inquiry and we will get in touch with you

Are you ready to take action?
Send an inquiry and we will get in touch with you

Take action

Help us clean your river

To tackle plastic pollution effectively, we need your help. Because the problem is transboundary by nature it makes it hard to assign ownership.

That’s why we need everyone to take action now. Find out how you can take action so that we can create impact at your location.

Our mission

The Great Bubble Barrier aims to stop plastic pollution in rivers and canals before it reaches our oceans. We aim to achieve this through four pillars:

  • Use our Bubble Barrier to remove plastic from waterways.
  • Monitor the amount of plastic in waterways to support the development of policy and additional measures.
  • Ensure sustainable processing of our catch with project partners.
  • Increase awareness to prevent plastic pollution.

 

 

Find out how you can help to achieve this goal:

Collaborate

Want to partner up with The Great Bubble Barrier and support our mission? Find out about the possibilities.

Initiate

Have a location in mind for a Bubble Barrier? Or do you want to find out whether your location is suitable for a Bubble Barrier? Initiate a Bubble Barrier.

Advance

Do you want to support our mission? Our sponsors and funders are crucial to accelerate the placement of Bubble Barriers worldwide. Get in touch!

our impact

Effectively removing plastic from waterways

%

catch rate based on pilot data

kg*

of inorganic dry debris collected by Bubble Barrier Amsterdam every month

pieces*

of inorganic dry debris collected by Bubble Barrier Amsterdam every month

*based on 6 months data in 2021

OBJECTS AND SIZES

All types and shapes

1MM

2M

1 Styrofoam
2 Cigarette butts
3 Candy wrappers
4 Fragment of plastics – Small
5 Straws and cutleries
6 Fragment of plastics – Medium
7 Plastic cups
8 Balloons

9 Garlands/flags
10 Plastic bottles
11 Plastic bags
12 Scooter helmet
13 Football ball
14 Wooden chair
15 Windsurfboard
16 Christmas tree

All types and shapes

1 Styrofoam
2 Cigarette butts
3 Candy wrappers
4 Fragment of plastics S
5 Straws and cutleries
6 Fragment of plastics M
7 Plastic cups
8 Balloons
9 Garlands/flags
10 Plastic bottles
11 Plastic bags
12 Scooter helmet
13 Football ball
14 Wooden chair
15 Windsurfboard
16 Christmas tree

The latest news

Bridge crossing over a bridge of a future Bubble Barrier location in Portugal

DEC 2022

The Earthshot Prize 2022 finalist

The Great Bubble Barrier is honoured to be a finalist for The Earthshot Prize in the ‘Revive Our Ocean’ category. We have started a nine-month fellowship programme, focusing on scaling our impact.

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Sustainable Development Goals

At The Great Bubble Barrier we aim to contribute to a more sustainable future. SDGs that can be linked to our cause are: