INTERVIEW: Boyan Slat, Teenage Inventor of the Ocean Cleanup Array

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work. Not just that—it could potentially <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">remove half the plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within a decade</a>. The last few years he's given talks around the world, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/boyan-slats-ocean-cleanup-takes-to-the-air-to-count-plastic-trash-in-the-great-pacific-garbage-patch/">quantified the amount of plastic</a> in the ocean, conducted tests in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azores">The Azores</a>, and <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-ocean-cleanup-raises-21-7-million-to-begin-ridding-the-pacific-ocean-of-trash/">helped raise $21.7 million in funding</a>. We sat down with Boyan Slat to ask him about his inspiration, dealing with criticism and what the future holds for the <a href="http://www.theoceancleanup.com/">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>.

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>

In 2013, 19-year-old inventor <a href="https://inhabitat.com/tag/boyan-slat/">Boyan Slat</a> made waves by designing an "<a href="&lt;a href=">Ocean Cleanup Array</a>" which he claimed could remove 72.5 million tons of plastic from the world's oceans. Although his idea received <a href="https://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/">criticism from some quarters</a>, <a href="https://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/">a year-long feasibility study</a> concluded that the idea will work....<br><br><a href='https://inhabitat.com/interview-boyan-slat-teenage-inventor-of-the-ocean-cleanup-array/'>READ ARTICLE</a>