Water means life. Think of diverse organisms, lush vegetation… and, don’t you dare to forget the plastic, almost an indispensable part of the water inventory nowadays.
We have long been accustomed to bottles, bags and other unwanted, floating guests, so it is practically unthinkable for us to walk along the river or the sea without being greeted by worthy representatives of a large plastic family. From the moment plastic enters the Earth’s veins and circulatory system, it travels like a malignant cell searching for its way to the ocean where it will remain dormant for hundreds of years.
Few people know that plastic in the ocean and plastic in the river is not a problem of the same weight. Although both are immeasurably harmful to the aquatic ecosystem, plastic in freshwater can be removed more easily than once it reaches the vast ocean expanses. Fortunately, there is someone who, as a true sentry at the ocean’s gate, intercepts the plastic and blocks its malicious journey through the rivers of our planet.
David vs Goliath
As in the true story of David vs Goliath, Everwave, a German start-up company, takes on perhaps the greatest challenge facing humanity. Determined in their mission to clean the rivers of plastic worldwide, they face this gargantuan enemy, so this young company had to come up with considerable tactics, knowledge, and unwavering will.
Just as David overpowered Goliath with seemingly weak weapons, so does Everwave enter the battlefield armed – by ship.
As Clemens Figel, one of the company’s founders, explains, the two main tools for collecting river waste are the CollectiX and HiveX. Unlike ordinary ships that leave oil spills behind, these vessels mark their trails with clean and shiny waters.
The first ship is powered by artificial intelligence and can collect 20 tons of waste per day, while HiveX is a passive platform that uses the water flow to separate plastic and store it. Clemens explains that the whole process is based on the principles of the circular economy, since the separated plastic, in cooperation with socially responsible companies around the world, is recycled and returned to use in the form of various products.
To involve as many people as possible in this cleaning endeavour, the company invests a lot of effort in education and marketing campaigns, so the name Everwave has two meanings – in addition to alluding to the waves of rivers and oceans, it refers to the wave of change this company ultimately seeks to bring to society.
Prepared by: Milena Maglovski
Read the full story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine RECYCLING.
