Technology Round Up

What types of litter are collected in each of the different types of plastic capture technology within the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup? Learn more about our technology and data below:

Each technology captures different types and amounts of debris depending on a range of factors, including the location of the site, weather conditions, and more! Explore the detailed data below to see how plastic pollution profiles vary across each technology.

The longer the devices are operating, the more plastic they collect. We have also been finding lots of small hard fragments, foam and film (all of which are very light), so the overall weight of the catch is much smaller than you might think.

Seabin

Environment: Nearshore aquatic

This plastic capture technology is a stationary device that attaches to floating docks and acts as a "trash skimmer." While it targets all types and sizes of floating debris, the most common items found are microplastics, mainly small foam, small fragments, and small pellets.

200,645*

Pieces of debris collected

135 Average pieces found per sorting

*This is an estimated total that includes both the number of debris pieces physically characterized and removed but not characterized.

Learn more about the Seabin

BEBOT

Environment: Beaches and sandy areas

This beach cleaning robot sifts sand and substrates to remove plastic debris from the environment.

The Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup has collected plastic from the shorelines of all five Great Lakes using the BeBot, including toys, firework debris, and fishing and hunting gear! These items are not commonly captured by other devices.