Founded in 2017 by four individuals, The Great Bubble Barrier is a Dutch social enterprise, which developed an effective technology to stop plastic pollution in rivers before it flows into our oceans, using bubbles.

5.8 million tons of plastic waste ends up in our rivers every year. Small, urban rivers cause most of the river-transported plastic in the oceans. The Great Bubble Barrier’s mission therefore is to stop plastic pollution closer to the source without interfering with marine life or boat traffic.

We create a bubble curtain by pumping air through a perforated tube on the bottom of the waterway: the Bubble Barrier. The Bubble Barrier creates an upward current which directs plastic to the surface. By placing the Bubble Barrier diagonally across the river, the natural flow of the water will push the plastic waste to the side and into the catchment system. Once the plastic has been trapped, it is collected, removed, and processed by the local waste management.

The first long-term Bubble Barrier was installed in the canals of Amsterdam in November 2019, followed by Katwijk in 2022, Vila do Conde in 2023 and Harlingen in 2024. The team is currently working on scaling and implementing this solution around the world.