Read again? Negative is the enemy of good, and this project was a net negative.
As PR it went well, if you didn't examine it too closely. It was a misnomer from the start - it was 'harbor cleanup' or 'river cleanup' really. Where the big obvious plastic objects are. I don't believe they proposed any method for actually cleaning up the 'garbage patch' which consists of pepper-sized particles of plastic that requires a sieve to see. And which has been colonized by many marine creatures, so 'cleaning it up' would have the side effect of mass sterilization.
Issues are hard. PR is easy, especially if you hand-wave over the hard stuff.
I'm confused about the idea that the project was a net negative. Based on what? River cleanups are happening that weren't happening before. That seems relatively positive.
Is the negative that they spent too much money on the trawling that didn't work?
Issues are hard. PR is easy, especially if you hand-wave over the hard stuff.