In summer 2018, authorities from the Australian city of Kwinana installed a new filtration system in the Henley Reserve. This system is unbelievably simple. Both the government and the citizens quickly saw the benefits of using it, and they are as content as can be.
It consists of a net placed on the outlet of a drainage pipe that helps to capture debris and keep the environment protected from contamination. The pipes drain water from residential areas to natural areas. The trash and litter from those places can be overwhelming and be harmful to the environment. Furthermore, this trash is usually washed away by heavy rains which pulls it all down to the drainage systems.
The city authorities started by installing two nets and were surprised at the results, as their new filtration system managed to catch over 800 pounds of garbage within some weeks. So, it's been decided to install those litter “traps” all over the city and minimize the pollution to the wildlife and surrounding environment. Although the installation and the manufacture of these nets cost money (approximately $10,000 each), the overall system is still quite profitable as they provide significant cost savings going forward. For instance, they now save on the labor costs they previously had to pay for people that would collect all the litter manually.
When the nets get full, they're then lifted, and the trash is put into special collecting trucks and transported to a trash-sorting center. There, it all gets divided into non-recyclable and recyclable material, which then move on for further processing.
The nets are then put back on the drainage outlets and continue doing their work.
The new filtration system proves that small things matter. Focusing on them can have a significant and positive impact on our environment and humanity in general.
