“No More Plastic”, “Go Beyond Plastic”, “Stop Littering Around Oceans”…these slogans are what we all come across scrolling down our social media apps, flipping through newspapers and magazines. But what about the massive amount of plastic rubbish that is already floating in the waters? Is anyone cleaning that?
Yes, the Seabin Project is at it! A seabin acts as a dustbin for oceans as it sucks in the water and collects the trash and filters out the clean sea water free of plastic and oil.
Seabins- Dustbins with a Twist
Simple techniques are involved in making a seabin. It’s a floating garbage can, submerged in the sea installed at marinas, ports, yacht clubs and floating docks where most of the ocean plastic is found.
Through a water pump capable of displacing 25 litres per hour, an inner basket is moved up above the water surface and then down below pulling the water. Along with water bottles, plastic bags, styrofoam and other debris, the filter situated in the middle of the bin also collects microplastics and microfibers as tiny as 2mm in size.
The stuff that is invisible to naked eyes can be filtered out too. The machine also contains a pad at the bottom that can soak up oil.
Seabin can collect trash from about 5 to 15 feet away. On an average, it collects about 1.5 kilograms per day. Fish generally do not get caught because they do not swim at the surface.
Cigarette butts, plastic particles, and food wrappers constitute the majority of trash collected through seabins.
The catch bag can hold up to 20 kgs of debris and needs to be emptied at least once a month. Currently, the bin requires plugin but the makers intend it to be solar powered in the future.
The Australian Duo Behind the Seabin Project
Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski are the founders of the Seabin Project, the ocean cleaning technology. The duo got concerned about the building up plastic pollution in the sea.
The marina workers cleaning the water using nets and trash boats are doing a very well job but they simply can’t keep up with the amount of trash floating in on a daily basis. Here come seabins- a low maintenance and effective working solution which can work 24/7 365 days!
Andrew Turton is the Director of Seabin Pty Ltd. He is a surfer, sailor and boat builder who witnessed immense pollution in the sea during his sailing trips around the world.
Pete Ceglinski, the Co-Director, is also a surfer and an industrial designer who decided to quit his job as he was designing plastic products.
The design, development, and testing are based in Palma Mallorca, Spain, the central hub of Europe’s marine industry.
What the Future Holds…
Seabins are now out in the world. More than a dozen of seabins are already installed in eight countries and the company has received orders from about 70 countries.
It costs around 3,300 euros which is cheaper than most of the handfuls of conventional sea cleaning methods. And it works all day and night.
It’s a highly efficient machine but there is always room for improvements. The work simply doesn’t end here. The Aussies aim to develop the bins in the future making it more efficient, more flawless and more sustainable.
The company started with docks and marinas but aim to move into the open ocean freeing our seas of trash for us and the generations ahead.
Cleaning out the existing debris in the oceans doesn’t mean that folks are free to throw garbage in the water now. The trash collected through seabins can be recycled and made sure that it will not end up in the water again.
The idea behind the seabins is to build a future where no more seabins would be needed.
Image Credits: seabinproject.com