A very pertinent question. If we have rubbish bins on terra firma to help us collect our waste, why can’t we have them in our Oceans? This was the idea behind the Seabin project.
Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski, two avid surfers, decided to quit their jobs to create a “Seabin” that would collect rubbish, oil, fuel and detergents. It all started from a passion for the oceans and the hard realisation that human over consumption and waste mismanagement was killing nature’s best jewel; an asset which also happens to regulate the world’s operation to an extent we are only just starting to understand.
The founders see The Seabin Project as far more than a product. Indeed, their ultimate goal is to “have pollution free oceans for our future generations”. Part of the process also involves education and raising awareness in order to be able to one day live in a world where pollution devices are not needed.
Practically speaking, the V5 Seabin unit is a floating debris interception device designed to be installed in the water of marinas, Yacht Clubs, ports and any body of water with a calm environment and services available.
The Seabin moves up and down with the range of tide collecting all floating rubbish. Water is sucked in from the surface and passes through a catch bag inside the Seabin, with a submersible water pump capable of displacing 25.000 LPH (litres per hour), plugged directly into 110/220 V outlet. The water is then pumped back into the marina leaving litter and debris trapped in the catch bag to be disposed of properly.
The Seabin also has the potential to collect a percentage of oils and pollutants floating on the water surface. It is estimated that in any given year, the Seabin can collect (amongst other things) 90,000 plastic bags per year, 16,500 plastic bottles per year and over 166,500 plastic utensils per year.
Keeping our marinas, ports and harbours as plastic-free as possible is only ever a good thing as these materials will ultimately end up in the wider seas and oceans adding to the plastic gyres and negatively affecting all forms of ocean-going wildlife.