Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images
A A new device recently installed in Los Angeles is helping to prevent tons of trash from floating into the Pacific Ocean.
The Interceptor, made by the Dutch non-profit organization The Ocean Cleanup, serves as the last line of defense against trash flowing into the ocean through Ballona Creek..
The Interceptor was introduced to Los Angeles County in October of this year, and recent rains in the area are putting the system to the test.
“It really works,” said local resident Wei Ghang. “They block a lot of trash.”
The 120 square miles of the basin contain human waste. Trash cornered by the Interceptor is barged to Playa Del Rey, where it is unloaded, sorted, and landfilled.
The Ocean Cleanup is partnering with Los Angeles County for a two-year pilot project. It is the first Interceptor in North America and in this type of urban environment, every storm that comes through is a learning experience.
“This most recent storm, the wind and water were choppier than in our previous storm experience,” said Steve Frasher of Los Angeles County Public Works.
“That required a bit of innovation to make sure we’re capturing the most trash with the barrier when there are waves trying to push it past the barrier.”
Last winter, 30 tons of garbage was captured in the Lincoln garbage boom, which is a pre-installed device separate from the Interceptor.
This year, even with the boom still working, the Interceptor has prevented 10 tons of garbage from reaching the ocean. That’s not counting what came from the most recent storm.
So where does all this garbage in the water come from?
“The source of the trash is you and me,” Frasher said. “The people upstream, our communities, the coffee cups, the soda bottles, just random debris that ends up in the stormwater system, in the creek, and gets trapped behind the Interceptor barrier.”
The most effective way to reduce the amount of trash that reaches the ocean is very simple: dump your trash instead.
But the lessons learned here in Los Angeles will make the Interceptor more effective as the project expands.
“It’s an opportunity to be at the forefront of innovative technology and be able to set the stage and tell the story,” Frasher said. “It’s exciting for everyone in this type of field.”
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