Club de Mar Mallorca installed in July 2019 two units of the Seabin, an automated marine bin that collects floating waste, oils and chemicals non-stop 24 hours, 365 days.

In barely a year, these two Seabins in Club de Mar-Mallorca have collected a little over a tonne of marine waste. Over this period of time, the garbage data has been accounted and a study and classification project has been developed.

Regarding the type of waste found, the transparent plastic wrappings and soft plastics for food represent half of the garbage accumulated in the bins. It is also significant the amount of cigarette butts, pieces of foam and microplastics that were collected from the water surface. The bin moves up and down with the tides and it collects floating waste of all kinds. The waste it captures is separated and recycled when possible. The absorbing filter it contains, captures oils and is replaced periodically.

The data account in these strategic locations can be used to improve everyone’s quality of life and to help to find solutions based on the patterns they show. Also, the Seabins have erased the waste generated by humans that ends up in the port, which also means it won’t end up in the oceans.

As explained by Paola Marcon, representative of Seabin Mallorca, there are around a dozen of these bins in the Balearics, while gloabally there are 860 units.

Marcon says the waste collected in some yachtclubs is high, “there are some spots where we have collected 40 kilos of waste in 5 days“. According to the data shown by the Seabin, 80% of the waste came from the land and 20% from yachts.

The company is working on a new device, which is being tested in Australia, that will allow to install the device also in fixed quays. “It is very interesting because we can place it in all kinds of ports”, says Marcon.

Seabin has also set up a foundation that helps to resolve the crisis with plastics in the ocean with different actions to protect the environment, such as beach cleanings and educational programs at schools.