In my time researching the world’s plastic problem, I have seen many proposed solutions. None are like the Bubble Barrier in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Bubble Barrier’s goal was to catch plastic before it floated out into the ocean without disrupting aquatic life.
The design, commissioned by the municipality of Amsterdam and the region’s water authority, is quite simple. Air is sent through a tube placed on the bottom of the waterway by an air compressor. This air creates a wall of bubbles that traps plastic waste and directs it to a catchment system nearby.
The idea of the Bubble Barrier was actually created by two groups of people at the same time : Philip Ehrhorn, who was studying environmental engineering in Australia and a group of Dutch women (Anne Marieke Eveleens, Saskia Studer, and Francis Zoet) who entered their idea into a contest looking for solutions to remove plastic from the environment. Once they learned of each other, the four worked together to create the Bubble Barrier.
There are a few limitations to the design. Waste smaller than ten millimeters won’t stay in the catchment system and the bubbles might not be able to lift heavier pieces of plastic. Still, the Bubble Barrier could be the first step for the creation of more effective and safe waste collectors.