Aqua Cleanup International

Aqua Executive Summary Deck

Plastics are globally used. They are also a global problem.

In the last 50 years, use of plastics has increased 20-fold, and will double again over the next 20 years. The problem? Production has outstripped waste management capability, creating growing marine pollution and dangers to human health.

Removing plastic marine debris is expensive, and few large-scale investments have been made in the area. More promising, however, is river-based cleanup, which is efficient, cost-effective, and better integrated with existing land-based recycling and transport infrastructure.

To date, Indonesia has been the main recipient of overseas plastic waste, but lacks the infrastructure to process it properly. Coupled with rising domestic plastic waste, especially in rural and remote areas, this has given Indonesia the second largest ocean pollution concentration of plastic waste. And pollution levels will only continue to worsen, as urbanization, population growth, and economic development drive increase consumption of plastics. The downstream effects, globally, will be enormous.

Recognizing these challenges, the Indonesian national and local governments have committed to addressing plastic pollution, setting the aggressive goals of cutting marine plastic leakage by ~70% by 2025 and achieving near zero plastic pollution by 2040. To achieve this, Indonesia has embraced cutting-edge technology, foreign capital investment, and NGO support, but current efforts aren’t driving progress fast enough.

Enter Aqua Cleanup International. Our vision is to dramatically reduce the entry of plastic waste into oceans through the world’s rivers in an eco-friendly and cost-effective way. We have a holistic approach to collecting and cleaning river plastic waste before it reaches the ocean. Aqua Cleanup develops customized solutions adaptable to the specific features of each individual river, and chooses the optimal point to capture the plastic waste. Our rich experience in vessel design and ocean engineering helps us offer clients a cost-effective, eco-friendly, turn-key solution to cleaning up plastic waste in water systems. Initially focused on Indonesia as an area of high potential impact, we will look to expand to other countries in the years ahead.

Plastic pollution is a problem not just for Indonesians, but for all of us. With Aqua Cleanup’s proprietary technology and expertise, we can take the first step toward solving it.