What it is
The Seabin Project produces floating trash skimmers designed for marinas, docks, and yacht clubs. Invented in Australia, Seabins operate continuously, pumping water through a filter bag that captures floating debris, microplastics (down to 2mm), and surface oil. A single Seabin can collect approximately 1.4 tonnes of debris per year, including 90,000+ microplastic pieces. The project has deployed units in 860+ locations across 52 countries, and their data collection contributes to marine pollution research.
Why we picked this
Seabins tackle the most solvable part of ocean plastic: calm-water collection points where debris accumulates. A marina Seabin is not going to clean the Pacific gyre, but it will prevent thousands of pieces of trash and microplastic from entering open water. The data aspect is equally valuable: each unit logs what it catches, building a global dataset on marina-level pollution composition that informs source-reduction policies.
Key takeaways
- A single Seabin operates 24/7 and catches approximately 3.9 kg of debris daily, including microplastics, cigarette butts, and surface oil films.
- Over 860 Seabins in 52 countries have collectively removed more than 4 million kg of marine debris from coastal waters.
- Seabin data has revealed that microplastics (2-5mm) account for up to 30% of collected material by count, providing critical pollution composition data for researchers.