Suzanne's Mom's Blog

Here’s a new idea for keeping waterways clean, and wouldn’t you know, the idea comes from the Netherlands.

David Z. Morris reports at Fortune magazine that at the September “World Port Days conference, the Port of Rotterdam debuted a pair of aquatic drones to help the port operate more efficiently and cleanly. One is the Waste Shark, an autonomous vessel to gather waste from the port’s busy waters before it can be washed out to sea. …

“According to Silicon Angle, The Waste Shark can gather up to 500 kilograms of waste, or 1120 pounds, before returning it to a collection point. The vessel also gathers data about water quality, and designs more efficient collection routes as it learns over time. …

“The craft, developed by RanMarine, could help curb the mounting environmental threat of ocean waste. Last year, there were an estimated 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean, with 269,000 tons floating on the surface—and doing serious harm to ocean life.” More.

Those of you who followed Erik’s relatives’ summer sailing adventure from Denmark to the Mediterranean will recall how dangerous floating debris can be. Reminisce here.

Photo: RanMarine
The Waste Shark autonomous waste collector.