How Much Trash Ballona Creek's Interceptor Collected This Storm Season

MARINA DEL REY, CA — At the end of the 2022-23 storm season, Los Angeles Public Works officials said Interceptor 007 pulled enough garbage out of Ballona Creek to fill eight school buses.

After an intense storm season tested the country's only automated trash interceptor in Ballona Creek, officials said the machine rose to the challenge and surpassed initial expectations. Public Works officials said it prevented almost 78 tons of trash and debris from entering the Santa Monica Bay and local beaches since its launch on Oct. 22.

"The Interceptor pilot program has yielded numerous benefits not only in helping to combat pollution in the Ballona Creek, but also in fostering innovation and learning, as well as promoting collaboration and partnerships among local and international partners," LA Public Works spokesperson Lisette Guzman said.

Altogether, Interceptor 007 recovered 2,040 pounds of plastic for recycling, which is the equivalent of about 48,700 16-ounce plastic bottles.

The interceptor's onboard trash bins were filled and offloaded 14 times over the course of seven months, officials said. Interceptor 007 collected its largest amount of garbage on May 5, recovering 19,900 pounds, or 10 tons, of trash from waterways.

The smallest amount of trash collected was On Feb. 27 with 5,950 pounds, or three tons, according to Public Works data.

Interceptor 007 was provided completely free by the Dutch non-profit organization The Ocean Cleanup to help put a bigger spotlight on conservation efforts. Guzman said the interceptor raises awareness about the impact of pollution in local waterways and encourages people to be more active in protecting natural resources.

So far, the machine is more than halfway through its first year of the two-year pilot project program, and Guzman said it has strengthened the community's commitment to protecting the environment and set a precedent for future projects.

"The beaches of LA are world famous, so if we can show the effect here, I think that message will travel far and wide," The Ocean Cleanup's CEO Boyan Slat said. "This might actually become the most important interceptor that we will ever deploy."