A district in Amsterdam is currently testing an innovative way to prevent plastic waste from flowing out to the sea. It involves using an air bubble barrier.
A perforated tube carries compressed air at the bed of the canal and emits a bubble barrier. The bubbles essentially trap plastic waste without disturbing aquatic life or hindering boat movement. Not only does the air bubble barrier prevent the flow of plastics, but it can also push submerged debris to the surface for capture.
The engineers laid the tube such that the river flow would direct the waste to a side of the canal. Then a floating platform would come in to collect the plastics.
Currently, Amsterdam’s garbage-collection boats remove nearly 42 metric tons of plastic from the city’s canal every year. The hope is that the air bubble barrier would enhance the work, and help capture smaller particles of waste.