Making Waves: Coldplay Partners with The Ocean Cleanup to Save the Waters

BOYAN SLAT (FOUNDER AND CEO OF THE OCEAN CLEANUP) WITH COLDPLAY © @ANNALEEMEDIA

Making Waves: Coldplay Partners with The Ocean Cleanup to Save the Waters

By Raye Mocioiu

Every year, an estimated 2.2 billion pounds of plastic end up in our oceans—that’s equivalent to dumping a garbage truck full of plastic every minute. Plastic pollution is a growing problem and an active threat to climate initiatives. Between the risk to animal safety and the risk of plastic particles in the very food that we eat, it’s high time to take action. Beloved British rock band Coldplay is at the forefront of this mission, fighting for progress alongside the non-profit organization The Ocean Cleanup.

Founded by Boyan Slat in response to the alarming amount of plastic in the oceans, The Ocean Cleanup is dedicated to developing and scaling technologies to address this critical issue and aims to remove 90 per cent of floating ocean plastic by 2040.

Coldplay joined forces with The Ocean Cleanup in 2021, sponsoring Interceptor 005, also known as Neon Moon 1, allowing the experts to collect and remove significant amounts of plastic waste, contributing to a cleaner environment and raising awareness about the global issue of plastic pollution.

“Without action, there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050, which is why The Ocean Cleanup’s work is so vital,” the band shared in a 2021 statement. “We’re proud to sponsor Interceptor 005—aka Neon Moon 1—which will catch thousands of tons of waste before it reaches the ocean.”

Interceptor 005, along with Interceptor 002, played a crucial role in The Ocean Cleanup’s operations in the river Klang in Malaysia, preventing over one million kilograms of plastic from reaching the oceans. This success paved the way for the extension of their collaboration.

For their part, Coldplay has continued their far-reaching support for The Ocean Cleanup’s operations. The band has been raising awareness for this crucial mission by screening cleanup footage during their Music of the Spheres world tour, reaching millions of music lovers worldwide and making the need for support known.

Already in motion, the renewed partnership is planning for the deployment of Interceptor 020, also known as ‘Neon Moon II,’ in the Cisadane River, Jakarta, Indonesia. Like the first of its kind, this project is poised to significantly prevent plastic waste from reaching the oceans and contribute to a cleaner environment for the local community.

The renewed partnership came in time for Coldplay’s international leg of the Music of Spheres tour, allowing them to continue garnering awareness and support for the project.

A significant step forward in the global fight against plastic pollution, this partnership shows how far the fight against ocean pollution has progressed and how much can be done with worldwide support. Using their global platform, Coldplay has turned The Ocean Cleanup’s vital work into a rallying cry, amassing support from fans everywhere. Their continued partnership shows that when we come together to save our waters, we can make waves.

“It’s so exciting for us to have Coldplay on board and to be making such a huge impact together against plastic pollution in Asia,” said Slat. “We say a massive thanks to Coldplay for their help, and we can’t wait to see Neon Moon II in action and intercepting waste soon.”