Floating pipe set to start massive ocean cleanup process

A 2,000 foot-long floating pipe nicknamed Wilson is about to start its mission to collect all the plastic in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Last month, the Ocean Cleanup foundation launched the world's first ocean cleanup system out of San Francisco to take on the notorious "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," a giant floating trash pile between San Francisco and Hawaii that is twice the size of Texas. It's the largest of five ocean trash piles on Earth. The pipe is set to arrive at its destination in the ocean on Tuesday and begin the cleanup process soon after, according to a company spokesperson. The pipe, which is in the shape of a U, features a 3-meter deep net underneath it to trap floating plastic under the water's surface. A boat will return to the spot every couple of months to remove the debris -- like a garbage truck for the ocean -- and return it to shore. The goal is to recycle the plastic and create new products. With about 150 million tons of plastic in the world's oceans -- and that number expected to triple in the next decade -- this type of trash disposal has real implications for climate change, the safety of sea life and industries such as fishing and tourism. It can also affect our health if plastic ends up in the food we eat.