Pools have filters so why not the ocean?
It’s a question many ocean lovers have asked (myself included) but two Australians pondered this and took it further by inventing a filter for harbors around the world.
Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski, two avid surfers, quit their jobs to create a “seabin” that collects trash, oil, fuel and detergents. The fact that the “seabin” collects oil and detergents succeeds in eliminating all the things the world doesn’t want in the sea and which are extremely hard to filter out once in the ocean.
The two inventors also started the Seabin Project with two objectives in mind. The first is to create more seabins out of the plastic the first bins collect. The second step and goal according to the inventors is to “have a pollution free ocean for our future generations.”
To make this story even more epic check out 0:20 where Pete says he “was a product designer in another life and it was [his] job to make plastic products.”
This insight and mission to protect the oceans shares is incredible. They're taking on the challenges of somehow cleaning the oceans of plastic and also creating a future where plastic is no longer even a problem.
Imagine if every harbor, boat owner, and floating buoy had a “seabin” to collect floating trash and oil pollutants. The world and the ocean would be a much cleaner, greener place for all living things to enjoy.
While the seabin is recommended for calm waters and harbors, it could lead to breakthroughs for the oceans in general. The plastic that makes up clusters of trash such as the Great Pacific garbage patch (which is larger than Germany or France) all originate from humans on land and even one seabin in a harbor makes a difference.
Cleaning up the ocean and protecting life below water is part of the Global Goals because it has a rippling effect. For example, in this video, Pete also mentions that the world could even eat better if there was less pollution because fish populations would be healthier. Less plastic means a more thriving marine ecosystem, which if sustainably harvested could lead to better food security for people in vulnerable ocean communities.
You can learn more about the Seabin Project and help fund their project on Indigogo here. Supporting clean oceans and life below water is part of the Global Goals and a key solution to ending extreme poverty. You can also adopt Global Goal 14: Life below water as part of your New Year's resolution by going to TAKE ACTION NOW.