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.
Full width & depth
The Bubble Barrier covers the full width and depth of the river.
Fish friendly
Fish and other marine life can pass the system and the bubble curtain reduces the sound of ship traffic in the marine environment.
Ship passage
The Bubble Barrier allows ships to pass and therefore does not obstruct daily river activities.
Full width & depth
The Bubble Barrier covers the full width and depth of the river.
Fish friendly
Fish and other marine life can pass the system and the bubble curtain reduces the sound of ship traffic in the marine environment.
Ship passage
The Bubble Barrier allows ships to pass and therefore does not obstruct daily river activities.
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
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
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
10 Plastic bottles
11 Plastic bags
12 Scooter helmet
13 Football ball
14 Wooden chair
15 Windsurfboard
16 Christmas tree
The latest news
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.
Featured in
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:
Address
Moezelhavenweg 9
1043 AM Amsterdam
The Netherlands
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