Time is ticking. By 2050, scientists say, there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans. By then, there should be as many solutions as possible, especially different ones, which is why it is nonsensical, says Marcella Hansch, to consider others who are tackling the environmental problem as competition.

The original idea: Hydrogen serves as fuel for the fuel cells of the floating waste disposal plant, the CO2 as nutrient for algae grown on the surface of the plant's water, from which a kind of bio-plastic may be produced in the distant future.
The futuristic-looking plant causes seawater to flow through the comb's tines, which are about 400 metres long and 35 metres deep, while at the same time the design ensures that the current calms down. Since plastic is lighter than water and is only pulled underwater by currents, the plastic pieces rise up inside the system. Without nets, so as not to endanger fish.

A local newspaper wrote about the idea, a sewage plant operator invited the architect to a fair, where experts assessed the technical solution and found it relevant as well as implementable. Reassured by this feedback, Marcella Hansch was able to gather a team and found several cooperation partners at the RWTH Aachen University. Then, in the beginning of 2017, a non-profit association was founded, and experts in research, construction, marketing and organisation started working on the realisation of the project on a voluntary basis. “We did talks, attended panel discussions, spoke in par-liaments and exchanged ideas with experts from all over the world. This took a lot of time, also be-cause we were all volunteers. At the same time, the encouragement and success we had gave us strength” says Marcella Hansch.

A crowdfunding campaign was launched and within a few months, 230.000 € seed capital was raised. “Now we can carry on differently, some of us can work full-time on the project, something that is nec-essary if we want to move forward. Since 2019, all teams have been working in research and develop-ment, because the work on solutions for filtration, recycling and construction overlap”.

What's clear is that the motivation is constant! Within a few years, the original project has evolved considerably.

The initial concept envisaged the deployment of the platform Pacific Garbage Screening on the open ocean. Over time, the team gained a more holistic view of the issue. Thus, in late 2018, the decision was made to shift the work to estuaries.
"Rivers are responsible for the vast majority of global plastic litter in oceans. But conditions in rivers are different from those in the sea, so we have adapted the operating principle of the platforms to this," says Marcella Hansch.

At the technological centre of the now mature strategy are the waste collection boats CollectiX.
With the help of integrated sensors that work with AI, the boats not only collect up to 20 tonnes of waste, but also valuable data. Rubbish hotspots are located with the support of drones. Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign, the first rubbish collection boat could be sent to Slovakia in summer 2020 for a large clean-up operation.
The boats are complemented by an innovative stationary platform system: HiveX.
The system, whose prototype is currently in the final test phase, operates in a particularly environmentally friendly and energy-efficient manner.

Everwave's goal is not only to rid the oceans of plastic, but also to think of the plastic caught as a valuable resource and to return it to the cycle. In addition to technical innovations, the focus is now also on environmental education and raising public awareness.