Debris research on the River Aura in the international Seabin project
Decaying plants, plastic litter, cigarette ends, pieces of metal. This is what the floating debris interception device has collected from the waters of Aura, the river running through Turku. The amount of marine litter and the methods of removing the debris in the waterways are now under research as part of the international Seabin pilot project.
Photos: Martti Komulainen
The floating ‘aquatic litter bin’ currently gurgles in Turku Guest Harbour. Seabin is now trialed in the River Aura as the only river-located marine debris interception point. The emptying of Seabin catch bag, sorting of the debris caught in Seabin, separate collection of plastic waste as well as the analysis and reporting of the material is carried out by a student team from Turku University of Applied Sciences.
Seabin is an Australian start up business with a dream of getting the marine debris issue under control with the help of floating debris interception devices. The device absorbs surface water assisted by a small submersile pump operating with electricity. The debris is caught in the catch bag of the device. Finland is one of the trial countries in the international pilot project. In Finland, the Seabin devices, financed by project partner Wärtsilä, have been set in Turku and Helsinki.