Detailed map and GPS location
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At least 8 million tons of plastic- one truckload every minute - are dumped into our oceans every year. Around 80% of the Ocean Plastic was River Plastic before, coming from around 1000 rivers.
This is why we invented the TrashBoom. We are convinced that most of the Ocean Plastic could have been prevented with TrashBooms.
Do you want to stop tons of River Plastic from entering the oceans and create local employment? Become a Plastic Fischer!
Most of the marine pollution enters the oceans through about 1000 rivers. By using local, low-cost, and low-tech solutions, we can tackle the problem quickly, at scale, and involve the local communities. That’s why we invented the TrashBoom. Swimming barriers are a very efficient solution to stop floating waste already in rivers.
What happens after collecting?
All recyclables are sold to local recycling companies but unfortunately, most of the plastic we collect cannot be recycled. The non-recyclables are sent to incineration with energy recovery (thermal recycling), which is in line with international best practices. We prefer using the plastic as an energy source while supplementing fossile fuels rather than sending it to unmanaged landfills, where it might end up in the environment again.
What is the social impact of my contribution?
Our approach creates Full-Time jobs within the communities we work in and producing locally boosts the economy. Together with partners, we host events to educate on recycling, explain benefits of pre-sorting household waste, and present alternatives to single-use plastic.
11 million tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year, killing millions of animals annually. 80% of ocean plastic pollution comes from land-based sources, and rivers are the main way that plastic gets transported out to sea.
Marine animals ingest plastic particles which eventually end up in the food chain. Humans eat one credit card of plastic every week! - Reuters
Climate change and marine plastic pollution are boosting biodiversity loss. Animals get entangled in old fishing gear or starve to death because they mistake plastic for food. - Arcgis
Plastic Fischer is focused in a region that feeds plastic into one of the top 10 most polluting rivers in the world (Ganges River, India), and is employing a proven and measurable solution. 80% of ocean plastic pollution comes from land-based sources, and rivers are the main way that this plastic gets transported out to sea. By using"Trashbooms", floating barriers that stop plastic waste in rivers before it reaches the ocean, we are preventing river plastic from reaching the ocean.
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In December 2018, Georg, Moritz, and Karsten traveled to Vietnam to celebrate Karsten's graduation from law school. During their stay, they observed a continuous stream of plastic, styrofoam, and other waste floating down the Mekong River towards the ocean. Realizing the environmental impact of this waste, they decided to test an idea Georg had for building a waterwheel that could collect plastic from the river. In January 2019, the waterwheel was successfully tested in Cologne, and Plastic Fischer was founded by Georg, Karsten, and Moritz in April of that year.
After moving to Indonesia in June 2019, Karsten and Moritz rebuilt the waterwheel but found it ineffective due to low river flow during the dry season. They then developed the TrashBoom, a swimming fence made of locally available materials, and tested it on the highly polluted Citarum River with the help of the national army. The TrashBoom proved highly effective, and Plastic Fischer went on to collaborate with Make A Change World to deploy a full-scale TrashBoom in Bali. The success of their technology led to the decision to make it open source and available for free on their website, inspiring other organizations to adopt similar solutions.
To this day (March 2023), Plastic Fischer has collected over 550,000 kg of plastic!
At least 8 million tons of plastic- one truckload every minute - are dumped into our oceans every year. Around 80% of the Ocean Plastic was River Plastic before, coming from around 1000 rivers.
This is why we invented the TrashBoom. We are convinced that most of the Ocean Plastic could have been prevented with TrashBooms.
Do you want to stop tons of River Plastic from entering the oceans and create local employment? Become a Plastic Fischer!
Detailed map and GPS location
Imagery of your item
Most of the marine pollution enters the oceans through about 1000 rivers. By using local, low-cost, and low-tech solutions, we can tackle the problem quickly, at scale, and involve the local communities. That’s why we invented the TrashBoom. Swimming barriers are a very efficient solution to stop floating waste already in rivers.
What happens after collecting?
All recyclables are sold to local recycling companies but unfortunately, most of the plastic we collect cannot be recycled. The non-recyclables are sent to incineration with energy recovery (thermal recycling), which is in line with international best practices. We prefer using the plastic as an energy source while supplementing fossile fuels rather than sending it to unmanaged landfills, where it might end up in the environment again.
What is the social impact of my contribution?
Our approach creates Full-Time jobs within the communities we work in and producing locally boosts the economy. Together with partners, we host events to educate on recycling, explain benefits of pre-sorting household waste, and present alternatives to single-use plastic.
11 million tons of plastic waste enters the ocean every year, killing millions of animals annually. 80% of ocean plastic pollution comes from land-based sources, and rivers are the main way that plastic gets transported out to sea.
Marine animals ingest plastic particles which eventually end up in the food chain. Humans eat one credit card of plastic every week! - Reuters
Climate change and marine plastic pollution are boosting biodiversity loss. Animals get entangled in old fishing gear or starve to death because they mistake plastic for food. - Arcgis
Plastic Fischer is focused in a region that feeds plastic into one of the top 10 most polluting rivers in the world (Ganges River, India), and is employing a proven and measurable solution. 80% of ocean plastic pollution comes from land-based sources, and rivers are the main way that this plastic gets transported out to sea. By using"Trashbooms", floating barriers that stop plastic waste in rivers before it reaches the ocean, we are preventing river plastic from reaching the ocean.
In December 2018, Georg, Moritz, and Karsten traveled to Vietnam to celebrate Karsten's graduation from law school. During their stay, they observed a continuous stream of plastic, styrofoam, and other waste floating down the Mekong River towards the ocean. Realizing the environmental impact of this waste, they decided to test an idea Georg had for building a waterwheel that could collect plastic from the river. In January 2019, the waterwheel was successfully tested in Cologne, and Plastic Fischer was founded by Georg, Karsten, and Moritz in April of that year.
After moving to Indonesia in June 2019, Karsten and Moritz rebuilt the waterwheel but found it ineffective due to low river flow during the dry season. They then developed the TrashBoom, a swimming fence made of locally available materials, and tested it on the highly polluted Citarum River with the help of the national army. The TrashBoom proved highly effective, and Plastic Fischer went on to collaborate with Make A Change World to deploy a full-scale TrashBoom in Bali. The success of their technology led to the decision to make it open source and available for free on their website, inspiring other organizations to adopt similar solutions.
To this day (March 2023), Plastic Fischer has collected over 550,000 kg of plastic!
