"Once the trash is in the ocean, it is incredibly difficult and costly to remove. The key is to stop the trash before it enters the ocean!" — Caroline Power
From a pool of 30+ United Nations Development Programs our PlasticPlug was selected as the coolest project and a team of hackers started to work with us on the exciting Digital Component.
Hackers pledged continuing support
View LinkedIn Post →"Nik is passionate about reducing waste and his plastic plug is a genius idea that cleans plastic waste from waterways — it is so badly needed in the Philippines. I see this as a sustainable solution of global concern."
"We need this! Now! I am doing what I can on a personal level, but it is only so much that individuals can do to reduce plastic. That is why we so clearly and urgently need these kinds of solutions."
"Nik's PlasticPlug is a welcomed addition as it captures the plastic trash before it reaches the ocean with no carbon footprint and then processes them in materials recovery facility for recycling."
"Nik's PlasticPlug is neither a fleeting marketing campaign nor a program doomed to fail. Grounded and aware of limitations, fully harnessing resources — this solution has the power to claim a desperately needed win."
"By participating in the Plastic Plug project, everyone can have a chance to care for those lives under water."
The PlasticPlug solution was offered from 2019 to 2023 to municipalities, a diverse group of foundations and organizations and individuals. Ultimately none of them wanted to run the project. As soon as the officials in municipalities found out that there is a lot of additional trash which they have to pay for, they lost interest.
Most NGOs approach this differently — they see it as social entrepreneurship and try to generate income from the project. I find it deeply unethical to attempt to profit from the devastating destruction of nature caused by irresponsible behavior. I am convinced it is the duty of society and its institutions to protect the ocean — not an opportunity for revenue generation.
I have concluded my active work on this in 2024 and now focus on Ocean Education & Literacy ↗ — raising awareness and building understanding of the ocean's importance for future generations.
The PlasticPlug is a holistic approach to the main problem of ocean pollution with floating garbage through rivers. And it contains a powerful and inspiring motivational campaign, which will help changing the mindset of all parts of the society towards segregation and recycling.
It is conceptualized to be inexpensive, as well as powerful and fast in impact. Its beauty is in the mix of simplicity and high-tech.
It starts in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Philippines as a pilot project — to prove to the world its feasibility and success. It will then scale to the whole Philippines and in the following year all across South East Asia — effectively protecting the Pacific.
Short Overview (3 min)
▶ Watch on YouTube
River-friendly Estuary Trap
▶ Watch on YouTube
Full Flow — Short Visual
Full Workflow (Facebook Video)
Retrieval via low-cost archaic systems with no running fuel or electricity cost. Recovery onsite without transportation cost. Rewarding System made possible through Digital Component with High-Tech AI.
We have been creating an unspeakable situation for the creatures of the seas. And soon this horror movie of being fed plastic trash will catch up on humanity too.
The Digital component is not only a key to an inspirational Motivation Campaign, but also for important KPI Monitoring to prove the success in Real Time.
From Ocean Science Institutions and NGOs to Government Units and ultimately all World Citizens — the results of the project are transparently available at any given time.
By presenting the topic in a community friendly manner we are able to keep citizens focused on a regular basis — showing both the horror of human impact and the success of national efforts.
While most campaigns create visible change in years, the PlasticPlug creates immediate maximal impact in the very first rainy season and scales effortlessly to whole South East Asia.
⚠️ This contest is closed. Active work concluded in 2024. See the full disclaimer above ↑
After so many hurdles like the pandemic and other challenges, we relaunched the Engineering Contest. It is now an interdisciplinary project with Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Mass Communication.
Learn More ↗
We are proud to have been identified by the 10% for the Ocean superfund for ocean philanthropy as an important piece in the puzzle of saving our oceans.
⚠️ This project is closed. Active work concluded in 2024. See the full disclaimer above ↑
You can participate in our development of the Software for the project. Register at www.proud.ph. You will work in a team led by Microsoft Philippines. We look for volunteers in:
