The Autonomous Refuse Collection and Shipping (ARCS) system is simple and intends to start addressing the plastics, and waste that are in our oceans today. The system is a group of cargo ships that are equipped with a front-end fan, and maw that opens to let the ocean process through the force driven near solid-state system. Water is first processed through synthetic Baleen to capture more than 95% of all ocean contaminants while allowing for ocean fauna to safely be released through exits in the bottom and sides of the maw. The system captures, processes, and stores the refuse in a storage vault that protects against re-emission even in the case of catastrophic failure.

The ARCS ships are cargo ships that are scrubbing the oceans of contaminants. The reason for the implementation of a co-developed vessel is simply enough to carry the implementation and operational costs of the program.