SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Set to Install More Sea Bins

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: November 12, 2020 6:05 pm

The current sea bin is removed from the ocean at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

Photo Credit: SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium in New South Wales, Australia has reported that they will make a further commitment to dealing with ocean waste during this recycling week.

Following the success of an initial trial they will be deploying more seabins during 2021. Seabins are floating rubbish bins that collect garbage from the sea 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Currently 21 of these bins are distributed around Sydney.

Currently the most productive bin in Sydney is the one at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. This bin collected 266kg (586lbs) of marine litter from the harbor in September 2020. This is an average of 16kg (2.2lbs) per day and is four times the global average.

“We love the Seabin at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium because it’s one of the hardest working Seabins and it’s having a massive impact on reducing the rubbish in the water. We’re excited to continue our relationship with SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium and see where we can place future Seabins,” said Tom Batrouney, The Seabin Project Environmental Technician and Community Advocate.

A selection of the rubbish which has been collected in the sea bin

Photo Credit: SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium

Charity, SEA LIFE Trust will donate funds for the instillation of the bins.

“It’s the generosity of our guests that enables us to continue supporting the Seabin Project and the clean-up of marine litter from our oceans. With a commitment to continue to invest in additional Seabins yearly, we hope to see the number of debris captured increase by at least 1.8 tonnes every year,” said Ashley Hayes, SEA LIFE Trust Responsibility Manager.

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“Seabins are a great example of an Australian innovation having tangible benefit to the environment. Through the Seabin installed at the aquarium we have been able to see the massive amount of debris that is entering our precious waterways daily. While each bin can remove hundreds of kilos of waste every year there is still so much more that needs to be done to change public attitudes to waste and recycling and the Seabins are helping us tell that story,” said Rob Townsend, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium Displays Curator.

Plastics and other rubbish accounted for 80 percent of debris caught by the sea bin during September. Items which may be caught and filtered by the sea bins include microplastics, oil and plastic fibres. An increasingly common find in the bins is medical waste.