If you can have a trash bin the corner on land to collect all the rubbish people generate, why can’t we have a trash bin in the corner in the water for the same reason? That’s the idea that Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski had, from which the Seabin was created. It is a simple vacuum based device that floats on the water and pulls all the trash that is available in the nearby vicinity into itself.

The Seabin has been established at marinas, docks, yacht clubs and commercial ports and seems to be doing a fairly good job of collecting the trash in the area it is placed. What’s commendable is that not only is it picking out solid waste, but it can also take in oil sleeks, detergents and other chemicals that are potentially harmful and polluting the waters.

Since the entire water passes right through the Seabin, it is able to pick up even the smallest pieces of Styrofoam and trap it before releasing the rest of the purified water back into the surrounding. The only draw back is that the Seabin, just like a regular trash can needs to be emptied out at regular intervals. Not a bad trade off in this science project.