New robot to stop plastic waste ending up in the sea

Every year plastic rubbish equivalent to the weight of 57,000 blue whales ends up in the oceans. This device has been found suitable for 70 European cities and could also be used in Cork and Dublin

Many tonnes of waste flow into the sea from the world’s rivers: A Danish robot minimises this pollution Pictures: Business Wire

At least 70 cities in Europe can now prevent huge amounts of waste from ending up in the sea. This has been demonstrated in the city of Aarhus in Denmark, where the robot SeaProtectorOne, made by All In On Green, collected more than 100,000 pieces of waste from the city's river in just 20 months. The technology shows how much pollution the city would otherwise dump into the marine environment.

Once waste enters the oceans, removing it is extremely difficult. This is why a Danish robotics invention is tackling the problem before it happens. The robot SeaProtectorOne is installed at the river mouth in Aarhus, where the river flows into the harbour and wider sea. The robot collects waste such as plastic cups, facemasks and pizza boxes —before they pollute the sea. However, it still allows boats and other marine vessels to pass by.