Optimizingthe placement of cleanup systems for marine plastic debris : Amulti-objective approach

Abstract: Marine plastic pollution is a pervasive problem and is estimated to only increase over the coming years. The realization of this has made several actors take action, of which one is the Danish Hydraulic Institute. Their simulation software MIKE allows for particle tracking in water environments, making it possible to forecast the movement of marine plastic debris. In addition to this, new advancements in marine plastic cleanup technology arise the following question; where are cleanup systems to be placed in order to remove as much plastic as possible? This study presents a mathematical model which, in combination with simulations of marine plastic debris movement, aims to nd the optimal placement of cleanup systems alongside coastal areas. In addition to solely place the systems to maximize the amount of collected plastic particles, minimizing the plastic particles' impact on sensitive areas is also considered. This is achieved by proposing a multi-objective optimization model. The obtained results present the optimal cleanup system placement in the pilot case of Jakarta Bay, Indonesia.