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ario t n O e k a L helps n o i t bris n e e d v f n i o n e i c b r a u Se the so y f i t n e d i s port EDEON BY JULIE G t i p o and st
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he debris collector invented by two Australian boat builders/ water enthusiasts is changing the way PortsToronto and the Port of Hamilton are cleaning up harbour waters and improving waste literacy. Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski developed the Seabin to collect trash, oil, fuel and detergents from waterways. A pump draws trash into a container attached just under the water surface to a platform or wall. The bag collects up to four kilograms of trash daily, while the absorbent but hydrophobic filter retains hydrocarbons. “It’s simple but effective,” says Chris Sawicki, PortsToronto’s Vice President of Infrastructure, Planning and Environment. PortsToronto became the first North American port to install the recently commercialized Seabin after an employee on its volunteer sustainability committee suggested it to management. “We set up two in the Outer Harbour Marine last summer,” Sawicki says. “And later tested another two at the Inner Harbour’s York Street Slip where the winds and waves are stronger.”
Trash team
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PortsToronto is collaborating with a studentresearch project at the University of Toronto called the Trash Team. The students empty the Seabins and document the waste. “We relate the findings to community decision-makers so they can take steps to prevent the debris in the first place,” says Chelsea Rochman, the Assistant Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology who co-founded the project. As expected, the Seabins retrieved disposable coffee cups, cutlery and cigarette butts. “There’s also a lot of microplastics likely from larger pieces that have broken down over time,” Rochman says. “It’s good to get these out before they break down further and possibly enter the food chain.” Toronto’s construction boom has resulted in many rigid Styrofoam pieces from
