Catching Up with The Ocean Cleanup · The Ocean Cleanup

Together Again | Developing cleanup technologies through a learning-by-doing approach

·40 min·4 clips

Learn how Hank Van Dahlen oversees R&D and scale-up to clean 90% of ocean plastic by 2040.

This episode features hosts Dan van der Kooij and guests Hank Van Dahlen, Director of Ocean operations, and Ian Smith, a senior engineer on the river team at The Ocean Cleanup. They discuss the organization's current status and technological development as team members return to the office. The conversation centers on the engineering and operational scale-up of systems designed to capture plastic pollution from rivers and oceans. Ian Smith works on Interceptor development and future technologies for extracting plastic from rivers. Hank Van Dahlen oversees the interconnected R&D, engineering, and operations divisions working toward ocean cleanup objectives. The hosts note the gradual return of staff to the office and the shift from remote work. They describe a collaborative environment where teams are physically reconnecting to advance their projects. The discussion outlines the operational link between river interception technologies and the larger ocean cleanup systems. Specific cleanup technologies or Interceptor models are referenced as key to their scaling efforts. The episode frames the current phase as critical for progressing from development to wider implementation. A surprising moment involves a lighthearted exchange about censoring the acronym "TOC" on the podcast, with a joke that saying it could get someone fired. The hosts emphasize the importance of in-person collaboration for complex engineering work after a period of remote operations. They express optimism about the timing for teams to reconvene and accelerate project development. The organization's focus is presented as a dual-path approach targeting both riverine sources and oceanic garbage patches. The return to the office is characterized as a positive step for morale and technical progress. The tone is informal and conversational, opening with casual banter about Wu-Tang Clan lyrics and a teddy bear. The style is interview-based, with host Dan van der Kooij prompting his colleagues for updates in a relaxed, friendly manner. Listeners interested in environmental technology startups and engineering project management would enjoy this insider update. Those seeking deep technical specifics or field reports from cleanup sites might find the episode too brief and office-focused.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Catching Up with The Ocean Cleanup