Breathing in pollutants such as oil, plastic objects and fuel, Seabins are catching things harmful to the ocean and its creatures. This revolutionary invention, although still in its prototype phase, should be propelled to international use to preserve the globe’s oceanic habitats. 

Seabins are filters that collect trash floating in the ocean into a five-gallon bucket. The goal is to lower the amount of pollution in marinas, harbors, inland waterways, residential lakes, ports and yacht clubs, according to the Seabin Project.

The rim of the Seabins are even with the surface of the water. The pump pulls the water, floating trash and contaminants into the bin to filter through the trash. A removable bag-like filter made from natural fiber catches the pollutants, and the water drains through the bag clean of waste while the objects are kept in the bag, making it easy to dispose of, according to Gizmag. A water/oil filter can also be installed in the pump to remove floating oils from the water. 

The Seabins location needs to be close to shore or attached to a boat, so it does not get carried out to sea.

“There’s no massive storms,” said Pete Ceglinski, partner in the creation of the Seabin. “It’s a controlled environment [at marinas, ports and yacht clubs]. It catches everything floating in the [plastic water] bottles, paper, oil, fuel and detergent 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. Another good thing about the location of the Seabin is that people can see what they are catching, what they are swimming in.”

Indiegogo is the company Ceglinski and Andrew Turton are using to fund their project, which people can donate to. 

Seabins are low cost, low maintenance and easy to use in harbors, according to engineering.com.

The goal is to have the Seabin production in place by late 2016, according to The Seabin Project. The project wants to have the lowest carbon footprint — the amount of greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide, emitted by a person’s activity — by using alternative materials and processes and having them manufactured in the countries that install them. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the need for Seabins, meaning pollution in the water will not exist.

This is an incredibly lofty goal given that National Geographic reported that there are about 400 dead zones in the ocean. This means that the amount of pollution has made these areas of the ocean completely inhabitable to creatures of the sea. It won’t be easy to reach this goal, but Seabins are the best place to start.

Pollution is not only harmful to humans but also to the creatures living in our filth that have to deal with the oil, fuel and plastic humans discard in the water. Making the decision to properly dispose of your own trash is the first step, but because there is so much pollution in the world’s oceans, Seabins are a necessity to start chipping away at the damage humans have already caused.