Seabin technology is making waves in the ocean-cleaning business. The Seabin, an underwater bin which sucks waste out of the sea, was independently designed by the two Australian surfers Pete Ceglinski and Andrew Turton. Concerned about their over polluted, aquatic environment, they decided to address sea pollution by constructing a dock-based, well-automated bin. Unlike traditional rubbish collecting products, which crush and/or compress matter, the Seabin uses a suction technique to create a flow of water which collects and stores surrounding debris.

Once full, the contents can be manually emptied and recycled. Capturing waste from the largest plastic bottle to small-scale cleansing agents, the Seabin’s effectiveness has drawn attention to marine pollution issues and attracted investors. A major reason why I like the Seabin is due to its eco-friendly functionality. Thanks to the bin’s sensitive dock-based pump, it can only collect pollutants bobbing around on the ocean surface. Therefore, it is impossible for a fish to get sucked in and trapped by the product. 

Apart from two major ports, companies and industries have been slow to adopt the Seabin in the fight to tackle sea pollutants. Due to the Seabin’s design, they are only ideal for cleaning pollution in marinas and sea-ports. It is not possible to install a Seabin in the middle of an ocean where there is little to no land nearby. I think the product could be expanded for even greater use by accommodating a wider range of capabilities. Understandably, Ceglinski and Turton wanted their product to tackle sea pollutants dirtying their local waters and, as a direct result, affecting their water sports. 

I think the Seabin if backed by further investment and scientific talent, could help address ocean pollution on a global scale. Multiple stand-alone bins in vast ocean spaces can affect greater change by accommodating pre-existing anti-pollution strategies.