Seabin collects plastics from Kaiserhafen

“Everything counts in large amounts”. In this case, the large amounts are made up of garbage and plastic. And the bin that is intended to fish the waste out of the harbour basins is called Seabin. This small catch bag is attached to a pontoon, floats on the surface of the water and continuously sucks in water through a filter system to clean the water and protect the environment. The watertight bag which collects the garbage can hold 20 litres and the Seabin is expected to remove up to four kilos of plastic a day from the water. It can filter particles with a diameter of 2 mm or more from the water. The waste is then collected and can be correctly disposed of or recycled.

The Seabin was developed by an Australian company which has marketed these products on a commercial scale since 2018. Since then, around 860 Seabins have been installed in ports, marinas and rivers throughout the world. The Australian company’s invention is aimed at business enterprises, governments, non-profit organisations and NGOs. In Germany, in addition to the one in Bremerhaven, Seabins have also been installed in Emden and Wilhelmshaven.

This marine garbage collector is an innovative, comparatively inexpensive and permanent option for removing waste, in particular plastic, that floats on the surface of the water. Quite apart from this highly practical benefit, a Seabin also draws attention to the fact that plastic is polluting our rivers and oceans and raises awareness of the importance of a clean environment.

The Seabin at Überseehafen is installed on a pontoon so that it can also be moved to a different location within the port on completion of the test phase. The external power supply can be replaced by a solar power system, which means the Seabin can also operate independently with a renewable energy source. The catch bag has a non-toxic and durable anti-fouling coating to prevent the occurrence of biofilm and thus facilitate cleaning.

If the Seabin lives up to expectations during the test phase, a survey will be carried out to investigate whether it will be possible to identify potential sources of waste in future and thus perhaps reduce the occurrence of waste.