Two Seabins designed to collect plastic, oil and rubbish floating in Mandurah waterways were officially opened on Friday.
The trash collectors were recently installed in two locations within the Mandurah Ocean Marina by the Peel Preservation Group (PPG) and were switched on for the first time on February 8.
Among the first to be commercially installed within Australia, the bins work like swimming pool skimmer boxes, pumping 25,000 litres of water through a mesh bag every hour.
Each Seabin has the capacity of collect half a tonne of waste annually which is equal to 90,000 plastic bags, more than 35,000 disposable coffee cups or 16,500 plastic bottles.
Our aim is to change society’s behaviour towards litter reduction and find ways to reduce plastic litter.
- Stewart Godden
The bins will need to be emptied daily, which will be the joint responsibility of PPG and the City of Mandurah.
PPG project leader Stewart Godden said they hoped to use the Seabins as an environmental education tool.
“PPG hopes to engage local schools via an education program,” he said.
“Analysing the waste collected by the Seabins will highlight the impact of single use plastics on marine life and its potential impacts on human health.
“Seabins can also increase public awareness of the need for waste reduction and for good waste management systems to be in place.
“Our aim is to change society’s behaviour towards litter reduction and find ways to reduce plastic litter.
“Waste management is everyone’s responsibility.”
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Mandurah MP David Templeman helped to switch on the Seabins, which were funded by the state government and installed by the City of Mandurah.
“This initiative reflects the community’s desire to work together to reduce the significant impact of plastic bags and other waste and litter on our environment,” he said.
“Good on you PPG and congratulations to the City of Mandurah and to all the people who care about this community, our wildlife, our marine system.
“But let’s hope we don’t need these in the future because we change people’s mindsets.”
I’m really looking forward to a plastic-free, clean marine environment for Mandurah.
- Tarnee Rutherford
City of Mandurah environmental education officer Tarnee Rutherford congratulated Mr Godden and the team on the success of the project.
“PPG have been working extremely hard to get this Seabin proposal off the ground and they should be very proud of what they have achieved for our community and the environment,” she said.
“They are one of many environmental groups within Mandurah that are working to protect the environment by conserving our waterways, bushland and our coastline.
“I’m really looking forward to a plastic-free, clean marine environment for Mandurah.”
The Seabins were designed by Aussie boat-builders and surfers Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski.
The pair realised human over-consumption and poor waste management was killing the oceans and teamed up to pursue their idea in 2013 before launching Seabins Australia Pty Ltd in 2015.
The technology has since been developed overseas and placed in 23 countries all over the world.
For more information about the Seabins, contact peelpreservation@westnet.com.au.