At current rates of pollution, our planet’s oceans will have three times as much plastic in them by 2040 than they do now. This expected exponential increase in plastic is an indication that common solutions and simple changes in behavior aren’t going to suffice. As much as we encourage people to not use disposable plastic grocery bags or to change their face soap, plastic is continuing to enter our ecosystem at an alarming rate.

According to a new analysis published in the journal of Science, with the tech that’s available today, plastic in our oceans could be eliminated by as much as 80%. Further advancements of existing solutions coupled with research and development of new solutions could inch us globally closer to that 100% containment marker. 

But 100% containment of plastic pollution in our oceans is a bigger hurdle than advancing technology forward. 

The only solution that is going to work has to be bigger than a simple change in behavior or an advancement in tech. It has to involve something much more collaborative and much more  innovations in technology, international buy-in, significant financial backing, and a commitment from people everywhere to accept changes in daily routines and convenience. In summary: This problem is complex enough that it’s not going to be solved simply.

Read the full article from the World Economic Forum here.

To see what Filtrol is doing to do our part to get us closer to 100% containment, watch this video.