The Italian company River Cleaning has developed an ingenious system designed to remove plastic waste from rivers. The system consists of a series of floating devices strategically placed at an angle across the river’s current. These devices guide waste to a collection point along the riverbank. The system’s modular design allows for expansion and integration with additional technologies, such as AI-enabled cameras to identify waste and deploy collection mechanisms, while leaving watercraft unaffected.

Efficient Plastic Capture
During a pilot project, the system successfully captured 85% of plastic waste in its test area. This includes a variety of items such as plastic bottles, containers, food wrappers, and even larger objects like tyres. It is noteworthy that lightweight items, such as plastic bags, are also effectively retrieved.

Sustainable and Energy-Efficient Design
Named “Rosà” after its pilot location in Italy, the system has undergone further advancements. The floating modules can be adapted to fit diverse river conditions, enabling effective waste collection even in turbulent waters. The energy required to operate the system is minimal, as it utilises the river’s current. Additionally, turbines can harness hydroelectric energy from the water flow to power the setup sustainably.

Modular and Scalable Solution
The modular construction of the system makes it adaptable to varying river widths and flow rates. Smaller branches can be equipped for targeted waste collection, while larger modules are capable of handling rivers with a higher volume of waste. Future iterations aim to include a solution for capturing oil pollution, further expanding its functionality.

Relevance to Designers
This innovation holds particular significance for product and industrial designers, urban planners, and environmental specialists. The system exemplifies sustainable design principles by combining material efficiency, modularity, and renewable energy use. It opens opportunities to incorporate recycled plastics and other sustainable materials into products, aligning with circular economy goals. Furthermore, designers involved in urban development and river restoration projects can integrate such technologies to enhance ecological balance and cleanliness in public waterways.

Implications for Material Innovation
The project’s focus on environmental impact reduction underscores the importance of utilising recyclable and biobased materials. Designers working with packaging, automotive, and product materials may draw inspiration from the River Cleaning system’s innovative approach to resource use, modular construction, and adaptability.

As River Cleaning continues to refine its system, it paves the way for scalable solutions to address the global challenge of plastic pollution in waterways.

Source: EngineersOnline.nl
Photos: River Cleaning