Defence sites work to remove waste from Sydney Harbour

New Australian technology is helping to clean Sydney Harbour and show how to remove more plastic and other pollution out of Australian waterways. Trials of new Seabin Smart Technology at Sydney Harbour Defence sites have removed 2,920kg of plastic, fuels and detergents from Sydney Harbour in the past 12 months and plans are now underway to expand the technology.

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley visited Garden Island today (13 January) with Member for Wentworth David Sharma, where the Seabin trial has been removing 140kg of waste per week, including one item of plastic every 40 seconds.

Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price said the Defence trial had exceeded all expectations and that three permanent units would be maintained at Garden Island. “Over a two-week period, the Seabins captured 6,198 items of waste from Sydney Harbour, including 3,500 microfibres and microplastics, and 2,000 unidentifiable pieces of plastic waste,” Price said. “This is Australian technology which costs as little as $1 a day to run and which can have huge dividends for the environment.”

Ley said that the one-year trial involving Defence and its industry partners, Veolia Environmental Services, was another example of the government’s commitment to tackling waste and recycling. “We can’t keep putting plastic in our oceans and it starts by getting our waste into the recycling bin where it belongs,” Ley said. “We have made waste and recycling a national priority and it is one that requires us all to get involved. The Remade in Australia recycling campaign is an important reminder of the role consumers can play as we transform the nation’s recycling capacity and take responsibility for our waste. Industry is certainly stepping up at the same time and innovative technology like the Seabin is another important example.”

Sharma said that the project would have benefits for beaches across the Harbour’s east and that the success of the trial on Sydney Harbour would help focus all Australians on the importance of keeping waterways clean. “Sydney Harbour is one of the world’s great waterways and this technology is an important sign of our commitment to keeping it that way,” Sharma said. “Defence has always been a part of the Harbour landscape both through current sites like Garden Island and our former Defence Sites now managed through the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.”

Plastic items collected over a two-week period:

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