Floating a clean idea

FLOATING bins that suck up rubbish from waterways will be introduced in Melbourne and Sydney next month in a bid to help the pollution crisis facing the world’s oceans.

Seabins suck in water, trapping litter and debris, before pumping the water out again. They can be placed in marinas, yacht clubs, docks and “any waterbody with a calm environment”, according to Seabin Project co-founder and chief executive Pete Ceglinski.

But while the Australian doesn’t pretend they’ll save the oceans he knows they can be part of the response.

“The solution isn’t Seabins – it’s education, changing our consumer culture and learning how to recycle better,” he said.

Seabins is undertaking an “operational trial” with the City of Melbourne and is also partnering with the National Maritime Museum on Sydney Harbour. A Melbourne council spokeswoman said “we look forward to exploring the potential of the system to keep our urban waterways clean”.