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A new multinational effort was recently announced to help prevent harmful waste from entering Panama Bay.

The new initiative is a collaboration between Panama’s Marea Verde Foundation and The Ocean Cleanup, an international non-profit foundation focused on removing plastics from rivers before they enter oceans. The “Seven Basins Project” aims to significantly reduce the waste that reaches the ocean from the capital’s seven major urban rivers.

The initiative was launched a few days ago at a bayside event in Panama City attended by the city’s Mayor and Panama’s Minister of Environment. The Ocean Cleanup will deploy its “Interceptor” technologies across the seven river systems to “comprehensively stop the flow of waste, contributing to the recovery of the coastal and marine ecosystems.”

The partnership will also include environmental education programs promoting “cultural change in waste management alongside coordinated work with local authorities and communities.”

“Through strategic Interceptor technology planning, monitoring, and research initiatives, and our alliance with Marea Verde, we can combine our proven technology and expertise with their local experience to deliver a lasting legacy in Panama,” said Ocean Cleanup founder Boyan Slat. “By implementing a more holistic approach to the problem of plastic pollution across city basins we can scale our impact and carry out our vital, collaborative work with greater efficiency to achieve our aims quicker and smarter.”

Panama Bay is “an area of rich biodiversity and ecological value, mangroves and critical ecosystems,” the Ocean Club noted in a statement. It has been designated a protected Ramsar site, as an important wetlands area.

Marea Verde has been working in Panama since 2017 to mitigate solid waste pollution in rivers and coasts.

According to the statement, the Marea Verde project on the Juan Díaz River has prevented more than 290,000 kilos of waste from reaching the ocean “thanks to floating barriers and innovative collection systems. “

“We are excited and confident that this project will transform the Bay of Panama,” said Mirei de Heras, president of Marea Verde. “The experience gained on the Juan Díaz River, the support of our donors and partners, and the technology of The Ocean Cleanup allow us to significantly impact the fight against plastic pollution in our rivers and oceans.”