The first large-scale operation to scoop waste plastic from the Pacific Ocean has set off from San Francisco.
The Ocean Cleanup ? a Dutch non-profit initiative aiming to rid the seas of plastic litter ? launched its System 001 equipment on 8 September 2018.
Towed from San Francisco Bay by the vessel Maersk Launcher, the 2,000-foot-long (600-metre), U-shaped floating barrier with a 10-foot (three-metre) "skirt" below will be dragged along the water's surface to collect up the waste.

Once it reaches its destination, the system is designed to be propelled by wind and waves, so it gathers plastic as it moves through the ocean.
"Due to its shape, the debris will be funnelled to the centre of the system," said a statement from the organisation. "Moving slightly faster than the plastic, the system will act like a giant Pac-Man, skimming the surface of the ocean." Operation targets Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The operation's target is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch ? a concentration of plastic debris moved into one place by ocean currents known as gyres.
Located halfway between California and Hawaii, the patch reportedly contains 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic, and covers an area twice the size of Texas.
Initially, the system will sail 240 nautical miles from shore for 14 days of trials in its U-shaped configuration. The team will then have the option to turn back if the tests are unsuccessful.

But the hope is that they will continue out 1,200 nauti...