LA Rivers Get $3M Cleanup System Before 2028 Olympics

Los Angeles is about to get a major ocean cleanup upgrade, and the timing couldn't be better for the city's Olympic spotlight moment.

Kia Corporation and The Ocean Cleanup just announced plans to install three "Interceptor" devices across LA's major rivers before the 2028 Summer Games. These floating trash collectors will work together to stop between 380 and 570 tonnes of plastic waste from flowing into the Pacific Ocean every year.

The first device, Interceptor 007, is already proving the concept works. Since entering full operation in Ballona Creek in 2024, it has captured nearly 387,000 pounds of trash before it reached local beaches and the ocean.

Now two more Interceptors will join the fight in the Los Angeles River and San Gabriel River. The Ocean Cleanup used drones, AI cameras, and GPS trackers to map exactly where plastic collects in these waterways, ensuring the devices get placed where they'll do the most good.

The timing matters because LA's rivers are major polluters. Research shows just 1,000 rivers worldwide cause nearly 80% of all ocean plastic pollution, and LA's waterways rank among them.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn championed the expansion after seeing the Ballona Creek results. "It's never been fair that one city's trash has become another city's problem," she said. The new system earned backing from LA County, Long Beach, and Seal Beach officials.

The Ripple Effect

This isn't just about cleaning up for the Olympics. The LA expansion is part of The Ocean Cleanup's 30 Cities Program, an ambitious effort to stop one-third of all river plastic from entering the world's oceans by 2030.

Kia has supported The Ocean Cleanup as its global mission partner since 2022, funding the development of scalable solutions that can work in cities worldwide. The company also helps create systems to recycle the recovered plastic instead of sending it to landfills.

"Our partnership with The Ocean Cleanup is focused on action," said Eric Watson of Kia America. "This work is about turning intention into impact."

The three-river system will create the first coordinated, city-wide ocean protection network of its kind. If it works as planned in LA, the model could spread to other coastal cities facing similar challenges.

California State Assembly member Diane Dixon, who pushed for the San Gabriel River device, put it simply: "This is about people working together who care about the environment and coastline."

By the time Olympic athletes dive into LA's waters in 2028, the Pacific will be that much cleaner thanks to technology stopping trash at its source.