The Great Bubble Barrier

The founders of The Great Bubble Barrier believe plastic waste can be caught before it reaches the oceans.

Too much of the waste that our society produces ends up in the water, where it damages marine and human life. Sea turtles and fish get caught up in plastic, ships are obstructed in their paths, and micro plastics form a health hazard for the smallest to the largest organisms. Plastic soup is recognized as an international problem more and more, by both the public, municipalities, government and the European Union. The current solutions that stop waste in the rivers have two major drawbacks unfortunately; they block ship traffic and/or hinder fish movement.

The Great Bubble Barrier team searched for an elegant solution that blocks waste in the river, but also allows the passage of fish and ships. They arrived at a very simple idea: a barrier of bubbles.

The Great Bubble Barrier offers a solution for different problem-owners: it can help governments meet changing regulation on waste management in waterways, but also help cities fight plastic problems in their waters and help waterboards to save on their cleanups after high water. 

The three co-founders of the Great Bubble Barrier, Anne Marieke Eveleens, Francis Zoet and Saskia Studer, all have a big passion for sailing and nature. This is what inspired them to look for a fitting solution to the plastic soup, both fish & ship friendly.

They have successfully run pilots in partnership with Deltares, Rijkswaterstaat & BAM / VandenHerik,  and are supported by sustainable & offshore organizations like Sustainable Young 100, Our Oceans Challenge, By The Ocean We Unite and the Plastic Soup Foundation. 

The Bubble Barrier intercepts 1 mm plastics in rivers and canals, and the team will further explore the possibilities and impact of our Bubble Barrier on microplastics coorperating with a research consortium formed by PWN (a drinking water company), KWR (research institut) and Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier (HHNK - water management board). This consortium is starting a study to prevent microplastics from purified wastewater from flowing into surface water. With this, the consortium is taking a step towards clarifying the nature of the cause and reducing the occurrence of microplastics in surface water as they can pose a threat to people and the environment.

The new Bubble Barrier installed in Wervershoof will give an insight into the physical effect of the Bubble Barrier on microplastics with a size of 0.5 mm to 0.02 mm.

As 8 of the 10 most polluted rivers in the world, are located in Asia, the team want to bring The Great Bubble Barrier there as soon as possible and are hoping to start there in a couple of years from now. The first steps, and contacts have been made.