Waste To Energy Opportunities In The Ocean’s Giant Floating Landfills Is Another Man’s Treasure One Man’s

Floating Landfills in Our Oceans North Pacific Subtropical Gyre A slowly moving, clockwise spiral of currents created by a high-pressure system of air currents. The area is an oceanic desert , filled with tiny phytoplankton but few big fish or mammals. It's the largest landfill in the world Size of a continent

North Pacific Subtropical Gyre

A slowly moving, clockwise spiral of currents created by a high-pressure system of air currents.

The area is an oceanic desert , filled with tiny phytoplankton but few big fish or mammals.

It's the largest landfill in the world

Size of a continent

Garbage Map

How Much Waste? Over 1/2 pound of debris for every 100 square meters To a depth of 30 meters Totals over 7,000,000 tons! 6 pounds of plastic waste per pound of plankton

Over 1/2 pound of debris for every 100 square meters

To a depth of 30 meters

Totals over 7,000,000 tons!

6 pounds of plastic waste per pound of plankton

How It Gets There Map of current drift over 10 years Objects start near coasts and end in gyre

Map of current drift over 10 years

Objects start near coasts and end in gyre

Plastic Is Forever Plastic doesn’t biodegrade by any natural process Plastic photodegrades into small bits in sunlight Small bits are called nurdles

Plastic doesn’t biodegrade by any natural process

Plastic photodegrades into small bits in sunlight

Small bits are called nurdles

Nurdles are Chemical Sponges Nurdles get sucked up by filter feeders and damage their bodies. Ingesting plastic creates deadly blockages Hormone poisoning for brain activity and reproduction Plastics accumulate non-water-soluble poisons. Plastic pellets have been found to accumulate up to one million times the level of these poisons that are floating in the water itself. Poison-filled masses threaten the entire food chain Deadlier at the top of the food chain Poison concentrates the higher up the food chain you go

Nurdles get sucked up by filter feeders and damage their bodies.

Ingesting plastic creates deadly blockages

Hormone poisoning for brain activity and reproduction

Plastics accumulate non-water-soluble poisons.

Plastic pellets have been found to accumulate up to one million times the level of these poisons that are floating in the water itself.

Poison-filled masses threaten the entire food chain

Deadlier at the top of the food chain

Poison concentrates the higher up the food chain you go

Other Hazards of Plastic Death Entanglement Ghost Fishing Derelict Fishing Gear Ecosystem Damage Damage to Coral Reefs

Death

Entanglement

Ghost Fishing

Derelict Fishing Gear

Ecosystem Damage

Damage to Coral Reefs

Waste From 3/12 Mile Trawl a drum of hazardous chemicals; an inflated volleyball, half covered in gooseneck barnacles; a plastic coat hanger with a swivel hook; a cathode-ray tube for a nineteen-inch TV; an inflated truck tire mounted on a steel rim; numerous plastic, and some glass, fishing floats; a gallon bleach bottle that was so brittle it crumbled in our hands; and a menacing medusa of tangled net lines and hawsers

a drum of hazardous chemicals;

an inflated volleyball, half covered in gooseneck barnacles;

a plastic coat hanger with a swivel hook;

a cathode-ray tube for a nineteen-inch TV;

an inflated truck tire mounted on a steel rim;

numerous plastic, and some glass, fishing floats;

a gallon bleach bottle that was so brittle it crumbled in our hands;

and a menacing medusa of tangled net lines and hawsers

It Gets Worse There are five such gyres on Earth, not just one!

There are five such gyres on Earth, not just one!

Opportunity In Disguise? Seen as problem… Biologists are studying Activists are writing about it I see it as a huge opportunity…

Seen as problem…

Biologists are studying

Activists are writing about it

I see it as a huge opportunity…

Waste to Energy is the Solution Gasification process that converts carbonaceous materials, such as plastics into syngas, a fuel. Gasification of fossil fuels is currently widely used on industrial scales to generate electricity. Almost any type of organic material can be used as the raw material for gasification, such as wood, biomass, or even plastic waste.

Gasification

process that converts carbonaceous materials, such as plastics into syngas, a fuel.

Gasification of fossil fuels is currently widely used on industrial scales to generate electricity.

Almost any type of organic material can be used as the raw material for gasification, such as wood, biomass, or even plastic waste.

Current Waste To Energy Success Waste Management operates 16 waste-to-energy facilities and five independent power production plants Located in the Northeast and in Florida, California and Washington. Together, plants have the capacity to process more than 21,000 tons of waste per day.

Waste Management operates 16 waste-to-energy facilities and five independent power production plants

Located in the Northeast and in Florida, California and Washington.

Together, plants have the capacity to process more than 21,000 tons of waste per day.

The Process Collect floating debris Skimmers Nets Vacuumpump system Sort out metals for recycling Gasify

Collect floating debris

Skimmers

Nets

Vacuumpump system

Sort out metals for recycling

Gasify

Processing Options Option A: Transport to land-based plant Option B: Process on specially built factory ships

Option A: Transport to land-based plant

Option B: Process on specially built factory ships

Benefits Cleaner oceans More plankton for wildlife Fewer poisons in foodchain Less ocean dumping as waste to energy grabs hold Renewable resource (plastic is here to stay) Ease stressed power grids in Southwest USA and around the globe Job creation Shareholder value

Cleaner oceans

More plankton for wildlife

Fewer poisons in foodchain

Less ocean dumping as waste to energy grabs hold

Renewable resource (plastic is here to stay)

Ease stressed power grids in Southwest USA and around the globe

Job creation

Shareholder value

Simplistic Timeline 7,000,000 tons in gyre 1,300 tons per day capacity at one current waste to energy plant Time to clean up = 14 years

7,000,000 tons in gyre

1,300 tons per day capacity at one current waste to energy plant

Time to clean up = 14 years

Contact Tim Johnson Midas Management Consulting (608) 270-9688 www.MidasManagementConsulting.com

Tim Johnson

Midas Management Consulting

(608) 270-9688

www.MidasManagementConsulting.com