Interceptor

A stationary, solar-powered river system: a floating barrier funnels plastic onto a conveyor and into dumpsters, stopping it before it reaches the ocean. Deployed by a non-profit — never sold.

The catamaran sits in the river while the current does the work — debris guided into its mouth is lifted out by a permeable conveyor belt, and an automated shuttle distributes it between six dumpster containers on a separate barge, swapped and emptied ashore when full. Solar power means no fuel and minimal labour. More than 20 Interceptors are deployed in rivers from Jamaica to Indonesia, and by the end of 2025 the fleet had intercepted over 48 million kg of trash.