Intercepting Trash in Kingston, Jamaica

It’s estimated that up to 14 million tons of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year—and 80% of it pours into the sea from polluted rivers.

In Kingston, Jamaica, Alecia Beaufort and her team at Clean Harbors Jamaica have partnered with The Ocean Cleanup to stop the waste before it reaches the sea. They’re installing “interceptor barriers” that capture the trash when heavy rains carry it downriver though the city’s concrete “gullies”—and then remove the trash for recycling. It’s a ray of hope for Kingston, the country, and the world’s oceans.