A 'Bubble Barrier' is trapping plastic waste before it can get into the sea

A stream of bubbles is catching trash in Amsterdam's Westerdok canal, preventing it from ultimately flowing into the North Sea.

"The Bubble Barrier" was developed as a simple way to stop plastic pollution flowing from waterways into the ocean. An air compressor sends air through a perforated tube running diagonally across the bottom of the canal, creating a stream of bubbles that traps waste and guides it to a catchment system. It traps 86% of the trash that would otherwise flow to the River IJ and further on to the North Sea, according to Philip Ehrhorn, co-founder and chief technology officer of The Great Bubble Barrier, the Dutch social enterprise behind the system.