Space Debris Removal
Several proposals have been written for using lasers to remove Space Debris. The process is less exciting than you suggest: I believe that the trick is using lasers to slightly increase the eccentricity of the orbits so that the debris will beginning dipping lower into the atmosphere. The atmosphere is what ultimately brings home the crispy bacon.
If this is done around-the-clock, from many sites, on as much debris as time permits...significant reductions will occur within a decade or so. But that's the trouble. It's hard to 'sell' a program that requires much infrastructure...but takes 'forever' for results to be noticed. Hmmm. Sounds like a NASA project!