An innovative solution to the problem of ocean pollution

An innovative solution to the problem of ocean pollution

By Elise Catterall  February 15th, 2018

Two Australian surfers have come up with a simple way to reduce marine waste.

Share

Two Australian surfers have come up with a simple way to reduce marine waste. It is an indisputable fact that ocean pollution is responsible for devastating environmental impacts. With this in mind, two Australian surfers and friends, Andrew Turton and Peter Ceglinski, invented a device called the Seabin. Innovative, yet simple in design, The Seabin is a floating rubbish collection device that has the capacity to remove up to 1.5 tonnes of waste each year from the ocean. Seabins move with the tides and collect all types of waste from plastic bags, bottles, paper and pollutants like oil, fuel and detergents.  Made entirely from recycled materials, the bins suck in water from the surface, leaving all waste and pollutants trapped inside a catch bag while pumping out the water. Each bag can collect 12 kilograms of waste before it needs to be emptied. The environmental benefits of the Seabin include the reduction of plastic-based chemicals entering the marine food chain and improvements to water quality. While, to date, much of the uptake has been in Europe, in 2018 there will be widespread installation of the bins across Australia, as well as the establishment of their worldwide headquarters on Australia’s east coast.


Positive Action

Read about 10 things you can do to save the ocean via National Geographic  

Subscribe to Positive Environment News. Positive Environment News has been compiled using publicly available information. Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.  

Share

By Elise Catterall

Elise is a writer, photographer, and naturopath with a passion for nature. She completed a Master of Public Health in 2017 through the University of Sydney. Her photographic work focuses on flowers and plants as a way of celebrating nature. She has been writing for Planet Ark since 2017, sharing positive environment stories, personal environmental experiences and perspectives.

Stay up to date

Whether you're looking for positive inspiration at home, at work or in the community you’ll find something in our suite of e-newsletters.