break from the traditional narrative of environmental
campaigning versus profit, he stresses. ‘There is no enemy
– we should all work together.’ •
To find more about the Seabin Project and enquire about
becoming a partner, visit www.seabinproject.com or
email contact@seabinproject.com
FINLANDS SJÖFART J SUOMEN MERENKULKU 49
The Seabin Project was
started with the help of
crowdfunding, and received a
major boost when it won a
grant for environmental
startups from the Nether-lands-
based Booking Cares
Fund. An important partner in
the pilot phase has been the
engine and ship systems manufac-turer
Wärtsilä, which became involved as
part of its corporate commitment to the marine environ-ment.
Wärtsilä has sponsored Seabins in three ports in
Finland, and plans to continue buying the device for ports
in each of the countries where it has operations interna-tionally.
Other companies in the pilot include Pete’s former
UK employer, the yacht racing team Land Rover BAR.
Having successfully turned out hundreds of prototypes,
the French yacht builder that manufactures the Seabin is
gearing up for full commercial operation this spring. Pete
would welcome approaches from more partners in the
commercial shipping sector, especially those who could
help with worldwide logistics. This project represents a
A
Ocean Cleanup – tackling
the plastic problem on
the high seas
In 2013, Dutch teenager Boyan Slat was on a diving holiday
in Greece when he noticed that there was more plastic in
the water than fish. Surprised that no one seemed to be
clearing the rubbish up, he investigated further and
discovered despair worldwide – people were saying the
problem was impossible to solve.
Boyan had found out enough to acknowledge that a
cleanup using vessels and nets would be unrealistic and
even harmful to marine life. But he didn’t take this as a
reason not to act. He discovered that there are five major
plastic accumulation zones in the world where ocean
currents converge – commonly called ‘garbage patches’.
Boyan came up with the idea of developing a passive
concentration system, letting ocean currents be the
driving force behind catching and concentrating the
plastic.
Boyan was so convinced that his idea was worthwhile
that he left university during his first year to found The
Ocean Cleanup. He won many supporters when his TEDx
video presentation went viral on the internet, and in 2014
an international crowdfunding campaign collected over
US $2m to pay for research and development.
The Ocean Cleanup is now a substantial not-for-profit
organisation based in the Netherlands, which has been
manufacturing and testing 2km-long booms with collec-tion
sheets hanging underneath. Due to be deployed in the
Great Pacific Garbage Patch later this year, these will
The Seabin’s
filters can trap
microplastics
down to a
diameter of just
2mm
G A Seabin in action, drawing in and trapping floating
plastics. IMAGE: SEABIN PROJECT
Water salute by
the Boskalis supply
vessel Union Bear
after helping to
install The Ocean
Cleanup’s prototype
boom (fore-ground
of picture)
in the North Sea.
IMAGE:
THE OCEAN CLEANUP
/www.seabinproject.com
link