ESA BIC UK Alumi and 2024 Earthshot Prize nominee, Plastic-i, celebrate their latest milestone with the launch of their Plastic-i Observatory – the world’s first AI-powered platform for mapping marine debris. Plastic-i joined the ESA BIC UK in 2022 at Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, graduating in 2023.

The platform aims to address the marine plastic pollution crisis. Each year, more than 10 million tonnes of plastic waste pour into our oceans, damaging marine ecosystems and costing economies billions of dollars in lost natural resources.

In collaboration with industry leaders such as Seven Clean Seas, The Ocean Cleanup, and the Sea Cleaners, Plastic-i has developed advanced computer vision models to analyse high-resolution optical satellite imagery, providing users with:

• Dynamic Mapping: Generate detailed high frequency maps and metrics of marine debris.
• Time Series Insights: Establish baselines and monitor changes over time, allowing for data-driven interventions (e.g, river-traversing trash booms), and measurement of their efficacy.
• Predictive Modelling: Identify where marine litter flows in order to plan its interception.

A game changer for marine pollution monitoring, the Plastic-i Observatory delivers actionable intelligence that can:

• Empower Cleanup Operators: for organisations removing fugitive plastic from the sea, the technology can optimise navigation to boost plastic collection efficiency by up to 20 times in coastal zones.
• Reduce Costs: lowering operational costs by 20%, making conservation more economical and accessible.
• Provide Data-Driven Insights: facilitating informed decision-making for policymakers and stakeholders; meeting international reporting requirements, such as those under negotiation for the Global Treaty on Plastics.

“We are excited to introduce the Plastic-I Observatory to the world. This platform represents three years of focused development and a significant leap forward in ending marine plastic pollution. By empowering users with actionable insights, we can collectively protect our ocean.”

James Doherty, CEO and Co-Founder, Plastic-I

Plastic-i invites sign ups for early access to the beta testing phase at: https://dashboard.plastic-i.com/

Many congratulations to the team at Plastic-i, we are proud to see their continued success in their innovation journey.