Malaysia’s rivers need a deep clean and that’s something British rock band Coldplay appears to be aware of as well.
Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion have decided to sponsor us the Interceptor 005 watercraft to suck up all the trash that has been floating in our rivers as part of environmental efforts by Dutch nonprofit The Ocean Cleanup. The organization said that the vessel will be able to catch as much waste as possible along the Klang River before they reach the ocean, where about 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste enter yearly, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
“Coldplay is well renowned for their music as well as their philanthropic endeavors, so we are excited that they have chosen to take part in our mission to rid the oceans of plastic through the sponsorship of an Interceptor,” a statement by The Ocean Cleanup said.
It also quoted Coldplay, who said: “Without action, there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050, which is why The Ocean Cleanup’s work is so vital. We’re proud to sponsor Interceptor 005 – aka Neon Moon 1 – which will catch thousands of tons of waste before it reaches the ocean.”
The Neon Moon 1 built by The Ocean Cleanup and Finnish firm Konecranes was adopted by the band on Friday, and can carry up to 100 tonnes of rubbish per day. A single Interceptor costs approximately US$777,000 to build. It is expected to operate in the middle of the year after its construction completes at a facility in Bukit Raya, Klang.
This is not the first time that a river-cleaning vessel will be clearing up Malaysia’s waters. The Interceptor 002 was deployed to the same river in 2019.
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