In a world where technological development is advancing at breakneck speed, I am fortunate to have a special perspective and the unique opportunity to understand the connections that leading companies make and the opportunities that arise as they create defining moments for their industries.
At “Beyond Tech – Expanding Perspective” is about their stories. With this series I want to provide a glimpse into the inspiring minds I meet and capture their ideas to inspire insight and innovation.
For the first episode I had the privilege of speaking with Nisha Bakker, Director of Partnerships at The Ocean Cleanup, an organization that shows that with the right vision, evidence and technology, we can solve global challenges at scale.
Plastic is one of humanity's greatest inventions and at the same time one of its most persistent problems. Durable, cheap and versatile, it has transformed food safety, medicine, logistics and manufacturing. But it is precisely this longevity that means that most of the plastic ever produced is still around today. And a lot of it has ended up where it doesn't belong: in our rivers, oceans and ecosystems, even in our bodies.
Today are worldwide More than 430 million tons of plastic every year produced. Production continues to rise and is expected to grow by 66 percent by 2040, even as waste disposal systems are already overwhelmed. Only 9 percent of plastic is recycled worldwide. A third is not disposed of properly and ends up in the environment through open storage, unregulated landfills and careless littering. That's it more than 109 million tons of plastic accumulated in rivers and lakes, far more than the 30 million tons in the oceans themselves.
Rivers are the main transport routes through which waste reaches the sea. In 2020 alone, 1.4 million tons of plastic floated down rivers into the sea. If we don't do anything about it, the amount will more than double by 2060. Just 1,000 rivers account for 80 percent of this influx, mostly in fast-growing economies where growth, urbanization and weak waste systems converge.
Focused on that The Ocean Cleanup their mission. The organization's goal is to rid the world's oceans of plastic. To do this, it is pursuing a comprehensive strategy that includes both the removal of old plastic in the sea and along coasts and the prevention of new plastic pollution from entering the marine environment. Their ambitions are bold and clear: their organization should become redundant by 2040.
Show the difference in cleanup efforts with data
During our conversation, Nisha explained that it is not just passion but also evidence that drives the work. “You could look at a river, see the problem and immediately start removing plastic from it,” she said. “But we first identify the best place to remove plastic and then build the entire value chain around it – including recycling, operators, permitting and long-term partners. Data is what sets us apart.”
There is an enormous technical and analytical effort behind every cleaning operation. The Ocean Cleanup teams map the political, economic and social dynamics in each country where a river system is affected. They use trackers to understand how fast the plastic moves, where it gets stuck and how seasonal changes from monsoon rains to dry seasons affect plastic flows. Cameras equipped with pattern recognition algorithms help determine volume and patterns. Modeling and simulations provide guidance on where to best deploy interceptor systems and how to scale them.
This data basis explains its success: more than 46 million kilograms of waste have been intercepted and removed in marine and freshwater environments thanks to System 03. The technology consists of a net more than 2.2 kilometers long that can clean an area the size of a football field in five seconds. More than 20 of these interceptor systems are deployed in the world's most polluted rivers. The organization recently unveiled plans to remove up to a third of all plastic waste from rivers through its 30 Cities program, which targets metropolitan areas with major waterways and major pollution problems.
But as Nisha pointed out, cleaning is only part of the solution. “This gives us time for systemic changes,” she explained. “Ultimately, governments, producers, recyclers and communities need to work together.”
There are signs of progress: More than 90 countries have now banned plastic bags, extended producer responsibility rules are expanding, and negotiations on a global plastics treaty have brought unprecedented international attention to the issue, although agreement remains to be reached.
The importance of systems
What impressed me most during our conversation was The Ocean Cleanup's philosophy. With employees from 40 nations, they build bridges between industries, disciplines and regions. They prove what is possible when a global movement is based on an evidence-based approach and relentless experimentation.
At SAP, we recognize this way of thinking. Improving the global economy and people's lives requires more than good intentions. This requires agile systems that can provide companies with insights immediately. That's why The Ocean Cleanup relies on SAP to carry out its mission. Every hour they spend building enterprise systems is an hour they cannot spend developing ocean and river systems or new technical solutions. Our job is to create a stable, integrated digital foundation so that the organization can focus on innovation rather than spending time on administrative tasks. Technology should accelerate impact and enable scale, not hinder it.
The same applies to every company. Whether it's tackling pollution, redesigning supply chains, or transforming business models, the biggest breakthroughs come when you combine a goal with technology that can support the goal. Clean, connected data, intelligent processes and applications that automate what can be automated so people can focus on what matters: That's why SAP is more relevant today than ever.
The Ocean Cleanup shows what is possible when bold ideas meet the right technology and the right partnerships. This is exactly the kind of conversation I want you to have Beyond Tech – Expanding Perspectives, Bring closer stories from inspiring minds that show that the future is not something we predict, but something we create together.
Manos Raptopoulos is Global President of Customer Success for Europe, Middle East and Africa and a member of the extended management team at SAP.
