The article “Seabin using plastic to fight
plastics” (2019) describes the dangers of micro fibres and micro plastics in water
bodies and introduces the Seabin technology as a possible method to tackle this
problem by elaborating on its functions and future modifications.
According to the article, micro plastics and
micro fibres present a serious problem to both oceanic life and humans. These “organic pollutants”, measuring up to a maximum of
5mm in diameter, are mistakenly consumed by marine
life and “can ‘travel’ up the food chain”, ultimately being consumed by humans.
The Seabin technology is implemented to pull in and filter these micro plastics
and micro fibres out from its surrounding deployment area. The article also
states that with a small modification, this technology can also be used to continuously
monitor micro plastic and micro fibre concentration in the water. It is also
claimed in the article that with the data consolidated from this technology,
along with “extensive R&D”, the Seabin technology will eventually be used
in open waters.
While the article published by the Seabin
project is helpful in providing a brief introduction to the Seabin technology
and the dangers of micro plastics and micro fibres, it only reports on additional
modifications that can be applied to the Seabin and fails to outline any existing
defects in the design and possible improvements that can be made. When compared
to the microplastic-filtering device, YUNA, the Seabin is less efficient for two
distinct reasons: it’s design and adaptability.
The main flaw in the Seabin’s adaptability is its
immobile state. As stated in the Seabin Project website for “Frequently asked
questions” (n.d.), the device is heavily reliant on a “submersible water pump”
and requires an external power source of “110V or 220V” to function. Thus, the
Seabin is restricted to work only in areas where electricity is readily
available, such as ports and marinas. The Seabin’s exposed lid, to suck in
pollutants is also vulnerable to natural phenomena, bringing a huge design flaw
to the table as well. For example, a sudden wave could potentially fish the
pollutants out of the catch bag and back into the water, defeating the device’s
purpose altogether. See figure 1 as a depiction of the Seabin’s open lid
(Eco-business, 2018).
In contrast, YUNA, a microplastic-filtering
buoy, is designed to be implemented in the ocean rather than marinas or ports,
already making it a larger-scaled project compared to the Seabin. The external
structure of the buoy is constructed by merging two halves from the same mould,
encasing the microplastic filtration system inside (“Anchor Buoy Filters Out
Microplastics”, 2019). Unlike the Seabin, this design allows YUNA to be
deployed underwater rather than surface-level, granting it the ability to
filter greater amounts of micro plastics without the risk of its filtered
pollutants spilling back out into the sea.
In terms of adaptability, YUNA’s
sunfish-inspired design gives the buoy an edge over the Seabin. The sunfish’s
ability to dynamically accustom its movements according to the sea currents is
incorporated into YUNA, allowing it to orientate the inlet of its filtration
system against the sea current (Ohm, 2019). The buoy is designed this way to use
the force of the ocean currents to pull in microplastics for it, requiring
little to no energy to function, as stated by Ohm (2019), thus making nature an
advantage instead of a liability for its design. This design also allows YUNA
to be implemented anywhere in the world as long as there is a constant current
flow in its environment.
Although the Seabin and YUNA are both effective
in their own ways in filtering out micro plastics, the YUNA is still the
primary business choice for doing so between the two devices, while the Seabin
is better suited to remove trash from smaller water bodies instead. In order to
tackle the issue of increasing micro plastics in our waters, the proposed
device must be adaptive to any, if not all, external conditions whilst leaving
room for further adaptations, which has been achieved greatly by the YUNA.
Figure 1
Reference list (alphabetical order)
Anchor buoy filters out microplastics. (2019, December 31).
Retrieved from https://www.springwise.com/sustainability-innovation/science-enviroment/yuna-anchor-buoy-filter-microplastic
Hicks, R. (2018, April 11). The
seabin won't swallow asia's plastic pollution problem - but it's a start.
Retrieved from https://www.eco-business.com/news/the-seabin-wont-swallow-asias-plastic-pollution-problembut-its-a-start/
Ohm, S. (2019, October 10). Yuna
microplastic water filter buoy win james dyson award in spain. Retrieved
from https://www.intelligentliving.co/yuna-microplastic-water-filter-buoy-win-james-dyson-award-spain/
Seabin Project. (2019). Seabin using plastic
to fight plastics. Retrieved from https://seabinproject.com/seabin-using-plastic-to-fight-plastics/
Seabin Project. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from https://seabinproject.com/the-seabin-v5/faqs/
