Summary Draft 5

 

MEC 1281

Summary Analysis Draft 5

Lim Xian Sheng

In the press release from  the Australian National Maritime Museum, "Introducing the Seabin Project"(2018), Jateff mentions that The Seabin Project was started by two surfers who were tired of "swimming in garbage". Jateff mentions that the Seabin is a device capable of ensnaring debris before flowing into the ocean, peculiarly in highly populated areas. Jateff states in the article how plastic pollution contributes to most of the eight million tonnes of waste yearly to the ocean and which is causing harm to sea animals. Jateff also explains that Seabin functions by filtering debris into a "catch-bag" and pushing the cleaned water back out while being powered by electricity from shore. The Seabin is also accoutred with "oil-absorbent pads" that filter petroleum-based oil and detergents. The Seabin is best placed strategically to maximize collection due to its inability to capture debris from a distance. With the above being said, Jateff claims that the Seabin is still developing a "recycled material catch-bag" and solar panels as a "zero-carbon" power option. While the Seabin is one of the devices to ocean pollution, it has a limited capacity in storing debris, an inability to capture debris below the surface of the water, and a high cost for maintenance.

One major problem with this project is the small capacity of garbage the Seabin is able to hold. Although the Seabin is meant for small-scale rivers and waterways, capturing debris at the most common source before being deposited into the ocean, the Seabin is far from the solution for ocean pollution. Compared to the enormous size of the ocean, the Seabin's overall range is very small to begin with even when in ideal weather conditions. Good weather conditions cannot be predicted accurately, and bad weather conditions can greatly affect Seabin’s overall performance. Additionally, Schmaltz et al (2020) state that while the Seabin is laudable, "their current capacity and widespread implementation is limited in comparison to their potential and the cast extent of the plastic pollution problem ". With that being said, the Seabin is a good device but there is still room for improvement on its capacity.

Another issue with this project is how the device operates. Jateff mentioned in the article that the Seabin "works like a pool skimmer," which pulls debris in the catch-bag, but it is located just slightly under the surface of the water. Therefore, debris that sinks down under the surface has little to no chance of getting sucked in by the Seabin. With this flaw in the device, it does not provide an adequate countermeasure to ocean pollution. In addition, Helsinki et al, (2020) mentioned that the majority of devices capture floating microplastics while a significant amount of microplastic exists within the "deep sea column". Therefore, the Seabin works effectively when there is debris floating on the ocean surface, but not sinking debris.

A final issue in Seabin is the significant cost. With the Seabin perpetually operating, replacing the catch-bag and maintaining the device has to be done frequently to ensure the maximum efficiency of the device which requires high cost. Based on the report by United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) (2020), a Seabin costs USD 4000 in the United States and the operation and maintenance of the Seabin are USD 1200 per year, for which one catch-bag is used per day. The report by UNEP (2020) also states that "A successful strategic solution will eventually combine methods and tolls that are logistically and financially feasible in a given location." With the Seabin project still in progress, it will eventually become affordable for countries to use it to clean the ocean. 

In conclusion, although the Seabin device has certain drawbacks, I feel that it will be a part of the solution to ocean pollution with the continual improvements of the device. With the continual improvement of the project, the Seabin might take minor steps to counter ocean pollution in the years to come.

References

Diana, Z., Dunphy-Daly, M., Gunady. E., Melvin, E., Rittschof, D., Schamltz, E., Somarelli, J., Virdin , J., (2020) Plastic pollution solutions: emerging technologies to prevent and collect marine plastic pollution.  Plastic pollution solutions: emerging technologies to prevent and collect marine plastic pollution - ScienceDirect

Gunter, J., Short, C., Stearman, J., & Guler, E. Pollution in our Oceans-The Seabin. http://blogs.longwood.edu/shortctechnicalwritingportfolio/files/2017/05//WhitePaper.pdf

Helinski, O.,Poor, C., & Wolfand, J.(2021). Ridding our rivers of plastic: A framework for plastic pollution capture device selection. Science Direct, 165(0025-326X). http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X21001296

Jateff, E. (2018). Introducing the Seabin Project. Introducing the Seabin project - Australian National Maritime Museum.

United Nations Environmental Programme. (2020, December). Catalogue of technologies to address the risks of contamination of Water Bodies with Plastics and Microplastics. 20-02368 Catalogue of Technologies WV.pdf (cgiar.org)

 Updated on 8/4/21