The Pacific Trash Vortex To Be Turned Into Diesel Fuel

For those of you unfamiliar with the Pacific Trash Vortex, here's a quick definition:

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also described as the Pacific Trash Vortex, is a gyre of marine litter in the central North Pacific Ocean located roughly between 135° to 155°W and 35° to 42°N.^[1] The patch extends over a very wide area, with estimates ranging from an area the size of the state of Texas to one larger than the continental United States; however, the exact size is unknown.

The Patch is characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of pelagic plastics, chemical sludge, and other debris that have been trapped by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre.^[4] Despite its size and density, the patch is not visible from satellite photography since it primarily consists of suspended particulates in the upper water column. Since plastics break down to ever smaller polymers, concentrations of submerged particles are not visible from space, nor do they appear as a continuous debris field. Instead, the patch is defined as an area in which the mass of plastic debris in the upper water column is significantly higher than average.

A company called Covanta is "in the process of piloting technology that converts municipal solid waste, including nonrecyclable plastics, into a diesel substitute. That part of what we do makes a complementary bookend to our focus on plastics in the ocean."

While the technology to support this is still in development, it's a super cool idea and very intriguing.