(via) Forward-thinking Australians Pete Ceglinski and Andrew Turton have created the Seabin, a brilliant contraption that floats on the water’s surface and sucks in litter into a container with an attached water pump, separating trash and filtering oils and detergents.
It was designed for marinas, or really any closed-off, garbage-plagued body of water where winds and active currents are still active enough to draw said garbage out to sea. Their prototype was just fully funded on Indiegogo (over $250,000 USD). Sayeth Ceglinski:
“Marinas, ports and yacht clubs are the perfect place for the Seabin […] There’s no massive ocean storms, it’s a controlled environment. It catches everything floating in the water: plastic bottles, paper, oil, fuel, and detergent, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year […] Another good thing with the location of the Seabin is people can see what we’re catching and what they’re swimming in.”
Ceglinski and Turton are currently consulting with scientists to study the Seabin’s effect on microscopic sea life and to ensure no marine creatures are accidentally caught in its vortex. If those collaborations come out aces and the machine is green lit for environmental duty, there are several points in False Creek where they could be put to immediate and effective use.
Vancouver would be cooler if people didn’t dump shit in False Creek, eliminating the need for this.