Oceans have been a large part of my life since I was very young. From being a child going spear- and line-fishing with my father and grandfather off Mozambique and South Africa to surfing (especially while living in Sydney for 10 years), sailing, and scuba diving throughout my adulthood—the ocean is where I am most inspired and at peace. As the years have gone on, I’ve seen, personally, how waste entering waterways—and specifically the ocean—is now, a significant issue that should be a concern for us all. Oceans and waterways impact all of Earth’s inhabitants because they are shared resources that converge to create a continuous cycle of currents, weather, wildlife and sadly, now, debris.
In my role as Worldwide Vice President of Professional Services at BMC, I decided to do something about protecting oceans and waterways. I wanted it to not only align to technology, but also to be something that made a concrete and measurable difference in the quest to improve the environment and the quality of our oceans and waterways, something BMC has also been doing in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The result was becoming a corporate sponsor of Seabin™.
How Seabin technology is helping
Seabin™ was started in 2013 by Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski, two Australian boat-builders who had an idea “to create a rubbish bin for the ocean that would collect trash, oil, fuel, and detergents.” They christened their invention the “Seabin” and launched their parent company, Seabin Pty Ltd, in 2015.
Since then, Seabin™ has become a clean tech start-up, expanding its network of collection sites and improving on the Seabin design to increase its capabilities. At its most basic functionality, the technology takes water in from the surface of oceans and waterways and passes it through a catch bag inside the Seabin, which plugs directly into either a 110V or 220V outlet and has a submersible water pump that can displace 25,000 liters or water per hour (LPH). The cleaned water is then pumped back into the marina, leaving litter and debris trapped in the catch bag.
As of 2022, each Seabin can catch an estimated 3.9 kilograms of floating debris per day, or 1.4 tons per year (depending on weather and debris volumes), including micro-plastics down to 2 mm in size. With the addition of custom oil pad technology, the Seabin can also skim surface oils and pollutants from the water.
In July 2020, Seabin™ announced a bold plan to tackle the problem of ocean plastics by cleaning up 100 cities by 2050, starting in Sydney, Australia, and using the five pillars of:
- Data
- Prevention
- Education
- Community
- Cleanup
After learning about Seabin™’s technology and 100-city goal, I knew I needed to help BMC become an active part of its ambitious initiative.
Doing our part
In March 2022, BMC Software sponsored two Seabins that are gathering debris in Sydney Harbor as part of Seabin™’s first Smart City. A team of BMC volunteers visited the site on World Oceans Day in June to see what’s been captured, learn about the analysis process and what more must be done to improve the health of our oceans and waterways. BMC’s sponsored bins are actively gathering data, and our first data report will be issued this month to demonstrate the direct impact of our sponsorship. Lastly, to show our professional services customers that their investment in BMC is paying it forward, we are dedicating our Seabins in their honor and commemorating their go-lives and project completions with an official Seabin™ thank you certificate.
Image of BMC’s sponsored Seabin in Sydney Harbor (Source: Seabin™)
Looking ahead
I’m excited for BMC’s support of Seabin™, especially because each quarter, our Seabin™ collection report will show the direct, positive impact we’re having on Sydney, which is a wonderful, water-focused part of the world. Additionally, this month is “Plastic-Free July” so I will be keen to share more about how much plastic and microplastic material is increasingly affecting our daily lives and how our Seabin is helping.
To learn more about Seabin™, visit seabinproject.com and to find out what BMC is doing in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in addition to our work with Seabin™, check out our comprehensive CSR Report here.
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These postings are my own and do not necessarily represent BMC's position, strategies, or opinion.
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