In 2019, Amsterdam began using bubble barriers to catch river plastic. Now the US wants to bring the technology to the Great Lakes

The string of bubbles that travels through a canal in Amsterdam fulfils the purpose of a physical structure and floating booms by moving plastic garbage away from the water so that it does not enter the ocean. The innovative technology, called a Bubble Barrier, has been in operation at Westerdok since 2019. Now, a team based in Lansing, Michigan, is working on bringing the technology to America, with a suggested location in the Grand River to prevent plastic pollution of the Great Lakes.

The project, reported by Smithsonian Magazine on October 9, 2026, has been developed in cooperation between city authorities, researchers, environmental groups and corporate sponsors of the initiative. The success of the project will rely on the engineering studies, environmental studies and maintenance of the system.

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The idea of the technology is quite simple – it uses air to direct plastic garbage to a collection spot instead of building a physical barrier. It remains to be seen if the technology will prove itself in an American river environment.

How a curtain of bubbles collects plastic from rivers

The Bubble Barrier starts with a perforated tube, which is set up along the bottom of a water channel. Air compressed in the tube causes the emergence of a stream of bubbles, rising to the water surface.

The current of bubbles lifts the plastics towards the surface. Due to being positioned at a diagonal direction in relation to the watercourse, the natural flow of the river moves the waste to the bank where it is gathered.

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In contrast to the physical barrier, this invention does not close the whole channel, so the ships can pass through the channel, and the design allows fish to cross the channel.

According to Smithsonian Magazine, in Amsterdam, the system catches 175 pounds of dry waste per month consisting of plastics with the size from 1 mm to 1 meter. As reported by the company that created the Great Bubble Barrier, their system collects 86% of plastic waste on the surface of the water.

Besides the ability to catch plastic waste, the system proved its viability as it operates in the busy canal in the Dutch city. The catchment area gathers different kinds of garbage – food packages, big litter, etc.

Why Michigan wants to bring the technology to the Great Lakes

The interest of Lansing in the system is connected with the Grand River, which passes through Lansing and then empties into Lake Michigan. Boats and fishermen use the river, and therefore the system, without hindering their activities seems to be quite reasonable.

The pollution problem is really large-scale. The Great Lakes receive approximately 22 million pounds of plastic garbage per year, with 45 per cent of it falling into Lake Michigan, as Smithsonian Magazine reports.

The implementation of the Bubble Barrier in the Grand River would stop some amount of waste from reaching the lake. The proposal would benefit from experience of using the technology in the Netherlands in places such as Katwijk and Harlingen, where Bubble Barriers limit the transfer of plastic to the nearby water areas.

But the successful implementation in Amsterdam does not guarantee the effectiveness of this construction in Michigan. The depth of the river, the speed of the water and seasonal changes may significantly influence the efficiency of the Bubble Barrier.

Moreover, the situation in the Grand River differs from the situation in Amsterdam's canals. It needs to be researched how well this barrier works in natural conditions.

Scientists are studying the risks before installation

Lansing’s proposal entails more than just installation of the equipment.

The Great Bubble Barrier is designing the technology; LimnoTech is a consulting company for the project, and the City of Lansing has committed to being the owner and operator of the system. The supermarket chain Meijer is supporting the project, including financing; the environmental authorities of Michigan will be involved in the permitting process and research.

Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University scientists are looking into the ecology and hydrology of the river, as well as possible impacts of the system on organisms in the water.

The question is whether a steady stream of bubbles will hinder the migration of young fish or plankton. It is believed that, according to some preliminary research cited by Smithsonian Magazine, the system will not hinder their travel.


In addition, there needs to be knowledge of how this technology can work in a flowing river where water depths vary depending on the season of the year. The eventual installation of this technology would depend on permits and funding. Community involvement also plays a role in this project because the Grand River is used by community members for recreational purposes.

Why collecting plastic is only part of the solution

Even if the Lansing project becomes a reality, the Bubble Barrier will fail to remove the sources of the pollution with plastics. The invention captures the pollution that is already in the water, rather than preventing litter from getting into rivers.

Another issue with the invention is that maintenance is required.

In Amsterdam, local authorities drain the collection tank three times per week. Similar maintenance should be provided in Lansing to make sure that waste does not accumulate at the bank of the river.

In an interview for Smithsonian Magazine, Jordy Wolfand, a civil engineer at the University of Portland not involved in the project, warns that technologies of such a kind may cause people to feel safer about littering since pollution can be cleaned up.

Barrier, however, could have another positive side as well in that it would make pollution tangible by looking at the waste collected in the system and trying to find out what kinds of substances enter their rivers.

For Lansing, this project can be regarded as an opportunity to try out something new from Dutch experience in a totally different environment. The success of such an attempt will depend not only on the amount of plastic the barrier will be able to collect, but also on the maintenance of the structure and compatibility with the ecosystem.