Today I Learned: PH's First Interceptor Barrier to Mitigate Ocean-Bound Plastic Waste

The world is connected by water, and this couldn't be more true for an archipelago like the Philippines, where water flows from streams into river tributaries, into larger rivers, and then into oceans. Along with it, of course, is trash. Each year, an estimated 20,000 to 33,000 tonnes of plastic waste enter the ocean from the Philippines.

In an effort to mitigate ocean-bound plastic waste from the Manila Bay region, The Ocean Cleanup is set to deploy the Philippines' first Interceptor barrier in the Meycauyayan River by June 2026. While most existing barriers are permeable, the Interceptor Barrier—a standalone floating barrier anchored in a U-shape around the mouth of the river—intercepts trash and buffers it until it is removed from the water. It is projected to capture some 370 to 540 tonnes of annual emissions from the Meycauyayan River System into Manila Bay.

This is part of the Netherlands-based nonprofit environmental engineering organization's global initiative of intercepting and removing ocean-bound plastic pollution from rivers by up to one-third by the end of the decade. Their interceptor solutions is always dependent on a number of factors, like river width, depth, flow speed, debris composition, seasonality, and tides. Aside from the Interceptor Barrier, they also have the Interceptor Original, Interceptor Barricade, Interceptor Guard, and Interceptor Tender. There have been Interceptor Barriers placed in Kingston Harbour and Barnes Gully in Jamaica.

"This milestone brings us one step closer to building tangible solutions toward cleaner rivers and healthier communities in the Manila Bay region. We are excited to collaborate with the City of Meycauayan on this first deployment in the Philippines, where commitment and leadership play a vital role in mitigating ocean-bound plastic waste pollution," said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO, The Ocean Cleanup.

Henry R. Villarica, Mayor of Meycauayan, added: "In a timely and necessary step forward, our city is proud to formalize a partnership with The Ocean Cleanup to support the rehabilitation of the Meycauayan River. Our work has never stopped, and this collaboration strengthens our capacity to accelerate meaningful, lasting change. We are fully committed to doing everything in our power to rehabilitate our river for the health, dignity, and future of our community."

This The Ocean Cleanup initiative is in partnership with the City of Meycauayan and supported by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office.

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