Los Angeles aims to stop plastic before it reaches the Pacific

Plastic reaching the sea has often travelled through streets and rivers first. In the Los Angeles area, The Ocean Cleanup announced agreements with local authorities to expand systems that intercept waste in waterways.

The organisation's announcement concerns planned interventions in the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers, complementing a system already operating at Ballona Creek. A survey estimated that rivers in the area could carry between 410 and 628 tons of plastic to the Pacific each year. This is an estimate of potential emissions, not an amount already collected by the proposed new devices.

At the time of the announcement, these were agreements and projects expected to be completed before the 2028 Olympic Games, not barriers already operating in the two additional rivers. Outcomes must therefore be measured after installation, including during floods and with maintenance and waste-handling needs in mind.

Intercepting plastic before it reaches the ocean can help, but it is only one part of the answer. Reducing escaped packaging, improving urban collection and keeping waste out of drains and channels tackles the problem further upstream.

The cover is an AI-generated illustration, not a photograph of the Los Angeles systems.

Source: The Ocean Cleanup, May 13, 2026.