Plastic has remarkable value to humans. But it’s also a major source of ocean plastic pollution.

Most of it is nets and rope from fishing boats, or municipal garbage that’s carried down rivers into the ocean. There it accumulates in spinning gyres of plastic, twice the size of Texas.

Large pieces eventually break down into fragments and microplastics. But because plastic is made to be durable, it won’t degrade any farther than that.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could clean it up?

That’s what a Dutch teenager thought when he was diving in Greece and saw more plastic bags than fish. He created a high school science project -- that has since grown into an international nonprofit, called The Ocean Cleanup, employing engineers, marine biologists and collection teams.

They set up huge U-shaped nets that float with the current in the spinning gyres, in the top few feet of water where most plastics (but few fish) are. These gradually capture the debris, which their boats collect and haul to shore.

They’ve also installed collection systems at the mouths of rivers to intercept plastic before it enters the ocean. Together, their systems have captured millions of pounds of plastic waste, which they sort, recycle or properly landfill.

There’s much more to do, but they’ve inspired governments and other nonprofits to work on plastic waste management on land and at sea.

Hopefully, with growing awareness, we can all make a meaningful difference in ocean plastic pollution.