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Hi there!

This time I brought you an article about waste collection. Let's see what this is about! :)

Waste Collecting 'Sharks' Reduce Ocean Pollution

Plastic pollution in the ocean affects wildlife, takes years to break down and is difficult to clean up. However, Dutch company RanMarine Technology has created a way to reduce the amount of plastic waste entering our oceans.

The WasteShark is a floating drone that collects plastic waste — as well as other unwanted material such as algae — in rivers and canals and near the shore before it goes out into the ocean. Inspired by a whale shark, the drone has a large "mouth" at its front through which waste can enter and get caught inside, while water just passes through.

At just under 1.6 meters long and 110 centimeters wide, the drone can go into narrow areas of water while being remote controlled from a distance of up to 3 kilometers away — or it can be programmed to follow GPS routes on its own.

Moving through the water at 3 kilometers per hour, RanMarine says its WasteShark can clean up to 500 kilograms of waste per day.

Speaking to Euronews, Nancy Wallace of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said that collecting waste close to shore is easier and less expensive than collecting it in the ocean. "Once plastic or trash ends up in the ocean, it's very hard to collect because it does break down, and so it gets smaller and smaller," she said.

Several WasteSharks are already being used around the world, including on the east coast of the US, the UK, India, South Korea and South Africa.

Here are some comprehension questions:

1. Is the WasteShark used to collect waste from the ocean?

2. How big is the WasteShark?

3. How much waste can the drone clean up in a day?

And here are some questions to talk to your friends about:

1. What are your thoughts on the WasteShark?

2. Do you expect the amount of plastic waste entering the ocean to drop over the next few decades?

3. Has your government taken any steps recently to reduce plastic waste?

4. Are beaches and waterways in your country generally clean?

5. Have you ever taken part in a cleanup project?

If you liked this article, let us know and we keep them going!

See you later,

Paul