Up to 90 percent of the world’s plastic items are never recycled, and scientists believe nearly every piece ever created is still in existence somewhere, in some form, with most going into landfill or the environment. Single-use plastic, such as water bottles and nappies, take 450 years to break down.

世界上有多达90%的塑料制品从来没有被回收利用，而科学家认为几乎每一片制造出来的塑料都以某种形式存在于某个地方，其中大部分进入到垃圾填埋场或环境中。水瓶和尿片等一次性塑料制品需要450年才能够降解。

The system to tackle the largest swirling mass of rubbish in the Pacific has been designed by a non-profit technology firm called The Ocean Cleanup, set up by Dutch inventor Boyan Slat when he was an 18-year-old aerospace engineering student.

用于处理太平洋上最大垃圾带的系统是由一家名为“海洋清理”的非营利性技术公司设计的，该公司由荷兰发明家博扬•斯莱特创建，当时他还是一名18岁的航空航天工程系学生。

“What I really hope is that the ocean clean-up in this century can be a symbol for us using technology to make things better.”

斯莱特说：“我真正希望的是，本世纪的海洋清理能够成为我们利用技术使世界变得更加美好的标志。”

The clean-up contraption consists of 40ft pipes – ironically made of plastic – that will be fitted together to form a long, snaking tube.

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