New Australian technology is helping to clean Sydney Harbour and show how we can get more plastic and other pollution out of our waterways.
Trials of new Seabin Smart Technology at Sydney Harbour Defence sites have removed 2,920 kilograms of plastic, fuels and detergents from Sydney Harbour in the past 12 months and plans are now underway to expand the technology.
Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley visited Garden Island yesterday with the Member for Wentworth David Sharma, where the Seabin trial has been removing 140 kilograms of waste per week, including one item of plastic every 40 seconds.
Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the Defence trial had exceeded all expectations and that three permanent units would be maintained at Garden Island.
“Over a two-week period, the Seabins captured 6,198 items of waste from Sydney Harbour, including 3,500 microfibres and microplastics, and 2,000 unidentifiable pieces of plastic waste,” Minister Price said.
“This is Australian technology which costs as little as $1 a day to run and which can have huge dividends for the environment.”
Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said that the one-year trial involving Defence and its industry partners, Veolia Environmental Services, was an example of the government’s commitment to tackling waste and recycling.
“We can’t keep putting plastic in our oceans and it starts by getting our waste into the recycling bin where it belongs,” Minister Ley said.
“Industry is certainly stepping up at the same time and innovative technology like the Seabin is an important example.”