The Australian innovation powering the war on ocean waste

It is estimated that by 2050, more plastic will be in the ocean than fish by weight. One man from Byron is out to change that.

7 min read

Published on 01 Mar, 2021

Pete Ceglinski is a passionate Aussie with an innovative device designed to stem the tide of ocean waste. Growing up in Byron Bay, he always felt connected to the ocean.

“I just gravitated to the water as a kid,” says the Seabin Project CEO and co-founder. “On the coast, you get a healthy respect for the ocean.”

At the time, Pete says he had no idea how much waste he was swimming and surfing amongst. According to a 2020 CSIRO report, up to 40,000-plus pieces of plastic per square kilometre can be found along the Australian coast – accounting for around 75% of all the rubbish that ends up there.

“As kids, we weren’t eco-warriors, we just wanted to go surfing with our mates,” he says. “I’m a late starter when it comes to ocean waste – I didn’t start thinking about it until I was in my 30s.”

Pete Ceglinski, Seabin Project CEO and co-founder

Coming together to fight ocean waste

Pete is making up for lost time with the Seabin Project. A Seabin is a cross between a garbage bin and a pool skimmer. When deployed, a pump pulls water through the open top of the Seabin. The water passes through a filtered catch bag on its way down through the bottom, capturing plastic cups and bags, smaller microplastics and even oil.

Today, there are more than 1,000 Seabins deployed in 53 countries operating 24/7. Each day they combine to filter more than 500 million litres of water and capture 4.2 tonnes of plastic.*

Before getting involved, Pete worked in plastic product design and on high-powered racing boats. He was searching for purpose in his life. He found it when he met Seabin co-founder Andrew Turton, a fellow Aussie working the yacht racing circuit, in 2016. One night on tour, Andrew explained the Seabin to Pete.

“That was my light bulb moment,” he says. “I had the life skills to do the Seabin Project. Everything in the universe put me there in that moment.”

Pete and Andrew quit their jobs and threw themselves into bringing the project to life.

Determined to make a difference

Initially, Pete and Andrew looked to the yachting community for funding but had no success. So they turned to crowdfunding. A flood of small donations rolled in – $3, $5, $10 dollars at a time.

“Just a little money from regular people who share our intense passion for the environment is making a difference,” Pete says. “We’re empowering others to join our mission and giving them the platform I didn’t have.”

In 2020 the Seabin Project raised $1.71 million by selling shares in the company for $250 each. Thousands bought in, with the highest investment totalling $30,000.

Supporters are using their voices as well, campaigning local governments to support the Seabin mission.

“Everyday tax payers and voters are sick of the rubbish, so they’re putting pressure on the decision makers,” Pete says. “I’m only one voice, but if we get thousands of people with the same message, they can’t ignore us.”

Group of Seabin Project volunteers sorting through plastic

Data driven progress

To gain support from larger organisations and government institutions, Pete needed a way to showcase the power of Seabins. He needed data.

"We need people to take our little garbage can seriously," he says. "So we’ve physically counted 71,000 plastic items in the last three years. That’s probably only about 2% of what we catch. Our data analyst estimates we’ve collected 35 million plastic items."

Seventy-one data volunteers in nineteen countries upload data that helps quantify waterway health and present a stronger case for Seabins. For organisations looking for measurable impact in their corporate social responsibility programs, the Seabin Project can show tangible progress.

“Agencies and councils need to make waterway health decisions, but they don’t know how to measure it,” Pete says. “The Seabin acts as a monitoring device, providing reports decision makers can use to justify legislation.

The Seabin Project was nominated for the David Attenborough Earthshot Prize this year, and Pete says it’s this sort of recognition that helps him take a step back and appreciate what the team has built.

“Around 98% of the time we’re so deep in the trenches, we don’t even realise how amazing this is,” he says. “The biggest thing that gives us confidence is seeing people caring for the environment and working together to fix it.”

Building a more sustainable Seabin

Early models of the Seabin required electricity. But the new V5 Hybrid model changed that, lowering the carbon footprint of the units without reducing their waste-capturing ability.

"Our new pumps are more powerful, but draw less from the grid. And they’re more compatible with renewable energy sources, including solar power and battery storage," Pete says.

The Seabin team have also removed 80% of the steel used to make Seabins and now uses recycled fishing nets to make the catch bags. Shifting production to Australia has lowered the Seabin Project’s logistics footprint, and the team are setting up global manufacturing networks to reduce their footprint further.

Plastic sorting machine of Seabin project

“We’ll always have a carbon footprint, but we’re continually looking for ways to reduce it,” Pete says.

They’ve even worked out how to recycle previously ‘unrecyclable’ plastics, such as the microplastics that are too small to be recycled. The team found a partner to break down captured microplastics into an oil base that can be used to make other products.