The TUFFBOOM litter boom stopped over 100 tons of floating trash in just 18 months

80% of floating plastic enters the oceans through just 1,000 rivers

In Panama, the Matías Hernández River has served as an informal dumping ground, accumulating trash from residents that eventually ends up in Panama Bay. The Marea Verde Association, a local NGO, placed a Worthington TUFFBOOM litter boom there to collect this waste, a critical first step in preventing plastic from reaching Panama Bay, and eventually the ocean.

Rivers are a major source of floating plastic waste in the oceans. 80% of global annual riverine plastic enters the oceans through 1,000 rivers. The remaining 20% of river trash comes from 30,000 rivers that are mostly located in densely populated areas.

Stopping river trash starts with Tuffboom.
Choose from these effective litter booms.

The TUFFBOOM litter boom, nicknamed by the locals “B.O.B. (Barrera of Basura = barrier of garbage in Panama)” was installed on the Matías Hernández River. B.O.B received its first heavy rain on April 6, 2019, which brought tons of trash that was collected in 470 jumbo bags. By December 2019, more than 10,000 garbage bags were collected, which is equivalent to more than 70 tons. Likewise, more than 50 refrigerators, piles of tires, cars, suitcases, and 2 tubes of 3m long used regularly for aqueduct and sewer systems were also collected.

The B.O.B. River trash boom demonstrates how Worthington litter booms are successfully used to prevent plastic in rivers from reaching oceans.

Image of trash collected by river litter boom
Image of litter boom capturing plastic and other trash in the Matías Hernández River
Image of trash collected due to litter boom
Image of trash collected from litter booms
Image of litter boom on Xayaburi river
Image of litter boom on Jordan River
Image of litter boom river trash barrier

TUFFBOOM

The litter boom for stopping floating trash in rivers and lakes.

  • Economical

  • Easy Installation

  • Configurable with debris skirts above and below

ODINBoom

Durable HDPE litter booms for rough conditions and long term use. Lifetime pontoon warranty, highly visible, multiple configuations.

BB20 - Debris Master

The ultimate litter boom for tough river and lake conditions. Deep screens stop floating plastic trash and divert it to shoreline collection areas.

Image of Litter Boom trash collected with Fisk Johnson standing on top

  • Soccer Balls

  • Refrigerators

  • Plastic Chairs

  • Tires

  • Suitcases

  • Plastic Bins

  • Plastic Bottles

  • Buckets

  • Styrofoam

  • Coolers

  • Diapers

  • Bags

What does 100 tons of floating river trash look like?