The Newcastle community are being encouraged to step up and protect local waterways by helping empty the devices that capture marine litter and debris.
The Seabin Project is about implementing a “whole solution” approach to the issue of ocean pollution, using education, science, technology and community activation.
The Seabin V5 is a piece of ocean-cleaning technology that collets floating waste, rubbish and oils from waterways.
Hunter resident Lindy, who works at the local Seabin in the Newcastle Harbour, said they desperately sought more volunteers.
“You see first-hand what the pollution situation is now, and knowing there are solutions out there for it is promising, but we do need help from the wider community,” she said.
As a rower and self-described ocean lover, Lindy is on or around the water most days and said volunteering at the marina was rewarding.
Travelling from Stockton, she attends the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club one day a week to empty the local Seabin and collect the water pollution data.
“From my personal experience, it is really satisfying to contribute to cleaning up the waterways,” Lindy said.
“It takes half an hour to empty the bin, then another 20 minutes or so at your computer filling in the online data form.
“The Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club has provided the marina space for installation and gives us access at any time.”
The device in Newcastle Harbour is one of 860 used worldwide as part of the initiative.
Balancing on the water surface, each Seabin is deployed in a Debris Problem Area where natural wind and currents push debris.
Each device has the capacity to hold up to 20 kilograms, intercepting and vacuuming up more than 1.5 tonnes of marine rubbish each year, including macro plastics, microfibers and micro plastics.
It is also capable of skimming surface oil and pollutants and collecting 90,000 shopping bags each year, or the equivalent of 35,700 disposable coffee cups.
Developed in Sydney by two Australian surfers, Pete Ceglinski and Andrew Turton, the Seabin Project began in 2013 and now operates in 58 countries globally.
During recent storms, Lindy said the local Seabin had collected an increased amount of litter, which had included a plethora of single use plastics like vapes.
“The number one thing that is a real issue is polystyrene beads. It breaks down and sticks to marine litter,” she said.
Lindy said critical data collection work was not being done, due to a lack of Seabin volunteers.
“There are people who are emptying the Seabin, but the data analysis isn’t being done,” she said.
“For volunteers, that’s the critical part of it – pulling up the bin, laying a sheet out on the pontoon and sorting through the marine debris and the litter.
“Volunteers then count the litter and take photos. Once home, you complete the online questionnaire and send that to Seabin, along with supporting photos.”
The data is submitted to the Seabin Project’s Pollution Index program, which was developed to help provide a measurable impact.
It enables the project to monitor the health of waterways and provide governing bodies key information needed to fill knowledge gaps critical for environmental reform.
“The Seabin Project has got a lot of potential for good but it heavily relies on volunteers on the ground to do the day-to-day tasks of servicing and collecting data,” Lindy said.
The Seabin Project in Newcastle is supported by the NSW Government’s Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund, providing funding for 12 months.
In the long-term, the Seabin Project is seeking $250,000 in public and private sector funding for a network of 20 bins in Newcastle Harbour and Throsby Creek, based on a full-scale city pilot already operating in Sydney.
Lindy said new volunteers must undertake a simple questionnaire and education zoom session before embarking on the important process of clearing Newcastle’s waterways.
Interested community members can email contact@seabinproject.com for more information or to sign up for volunteering.
Maia O’Connor