"It will be the first time our barrier design will be put to the test in openwaters," the foundation said of the 100 metre-long (62 miles) barrier segment that will be deployed 23 kilometres off the coast of The Netherlands in the second quarter of the year.

Most ocean waste collection programmes use boats to scour the surf for the plastic flotsam and jetsam in which dolphins, seals and other sea creatures become entangled.

Ocean Cleanup's barrier uses currents to passively ensnare waves of garbage -- while allowing fish and other sea creatures through.

The foundation said the goal of the North Sea test, which comes after earlier tests in controlled environments on Dutch lakes, was "to monitor the effects of real-life sea conditions, with a focus on waves and currents".

Apart from spinning a deadly web for marine life plastic waste is also ingested by some creatures, with sea turtles for example mistaking plastic bags for jellyfish.