Trash-tracking satellites help tackle marine waste

Don’t rubbish the idea: A plastic monitoring device with satellite beacons to detect where trash tossed into water gathers and lands. — AFP

Every year, pounding rains wash away mountains of plastic waste from the streets of Jakarta, with some of it ending up as far away as Bali’s beaches. Scientists are now turning to satellites to trace the rubbish and figure out how to tackle the problem.

Indonesia is among the few countries that allows a larger amount of waste to enter the ocean.