The paper, Optimizing the Path Towards Plastic-Free Oceans, was published in the academic journal Operations Research. It resulted from a collaboration between ABW and The Ocean Cleanup.

The research examines how ocean plastic collection systems can be routed more effectively. Mathematical optimisation helps determine where systems should move over time, with the aim of collecting as much plastic as possible. The findings show how operations research and prescriptive analytics can help address environmental challenges in practice. Prescriptive analytics uses data and mathematical models to recommend the best action to take. It goes beyond predicting what may happen by helping decision-makers choose what to do next.

The paper was written by Dick den Hertog, Jean Pauphilet and Baizhi Song of the London Business School, and Yannick Pham and Bruno Sainte-Rose of The Ocean Cleanup in Rotterdam.

The INFORMS (Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences) ENRE (Energy, Natural Resources, and the Environment ) Best Publication Award recognises research in environment and sustainability. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place during the INFORMS Annual Meeting in San Francisco in November 2026.

ABW brings researchers and organisations together to apply analytics to societal challenges. This collaboration with The Ocean Cleanup illustrates how academic research and practical expertise can contribute to reducing plastic pollution in the oceans.