Wärtsilä joins Seabin Project to support ocean cleaning effort

Finnish technology firm Wärtsilä has entered an agreement to support the Seabin Project's pilot programme that aims to keep the world's oceans free from plastics and other litter.

Wärtsilä will work alongside the Seabin Project for the next three years under the deal, which will see the company lend its experience, technologies, and expertise to the development of environmentally-sustainable products.

The Seabin Project is to be launched in April, and seeks to approach the ocean cleaning challenge from various different angles, with particular focus on education, research and technology.

The latest prototype of Seabin V5 Hybrid, a floating waste bin to be located in the water at marinas, docks, yacht clubs and commercial ports for collecting all rubbish, will be presented and installed in various locations worldwide as part of the proposed launch, including Helsinki, Finland.

A three month test of the prototype will be carried out following Seabin's installation, in order to collect user experience and data from the pilot partners before the beginning of commercial sales of the bin.

Wärtsilä president and CEO Jaakko Eskola said: “As one of the marine industry's leading solutions suppliers, it is our responsibility to supply efficient products that help our customers protect the environment.

“Environmental actions need to take place now and everyone can play a role, corporations as well as individuals.”

The company has also signed an agreement with the city and Port of Helsinki to donate two pre-series Seabins for testing in Finnish capital during the trial period. The bins will be managed and maintained by the city on a daily basis.