Incredible Technologies and Inventions that Can Save Our Oceans

These creative technologies will truly make a difference in our environment, but at what cost?

1. Over five trillion pieces of plastic currently litter the ocean. Founded in 2013, The Ocean Cleanup is a Dutch organization that develops advanced technologies that reduce the amount of waste in our waters. It is to be believed that if this system is fully deployed, it can clean up to 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 5 years. Their plan is to remove plastic before it is broken down into dangerous micro-plastics, and with source reduction on land, we will see a plastic free ocean by 2050. This system consists of a floating tube with a skirt attached beneath it that is 3 meters in length. It will move around the ocean in a U-shape to collect the debris. Take a look at the video below to see more detail of this device.

2. Another incredible invention is The Seabin Project. The Seabin is essentially a floating trashcan that collects wastes through a mesh filter and is capable of working 24/7. Not only is it able to collect micro-plastics, but micro-fibers as well. This devise run on electricity of about 500 watts. Currently it is at a very low energy consumption at around of $1 and is only being used in areas where an electric source is nearby, like a marina. However, by the year 2027 they plan to go offshore by powering these bins with solar, wind, and even wave sources.

These are only a couple out of many of economical technologies that are currently being produced to save our oceans. While researching how much these would cost our society, I was incredibly shocked to discover that these projects are mainly funded by donations. The Ocean Cleanup accepts donations and is also partnered with some major corporations such as Maersk, Deloitte, and The Government of the Netherlands. The CEO of The Seabin Project, Pete Ceglinksi, stated that they, “raised $362,000 by crowd funding which kick started the beginning of the project”. These bins are also accessible to other countries and each is available at the cost of $4,100. This money goes towards the creation of more bins. The more bins that are in our waters, the more hope for a cleaner future.