To bring the technical side of the plan to life, we developed a simple language of words and icons. A communication toolkit that project employees can use themselves. The financial kickstart came from an online platform and crowdfunding campaign developed by us, which presented clear facts and figures. Within a year of getting involved, The Ocean Cleanup had grown from a crazy idea by two ambitious young students to an organization of more than 100 volunteers and more than enough resources to actually filter the plastic from the oceans.
The Ocean Cleanup launched the approach with a large expedition of 30 ships that sailed across the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, conducting research and collecting data. Using the Survey app we developed, the ships mapped and reported where plastic pollution was most serious. This app made it clear to us where exactly the clean-up had to start.