Beach cleanups have long been a go-to tactic in the fight against marine plastic pollution, but one stubborn question has remained: what happens to the waste after it’s collected?
In most cases, plastic debris pulled from the ocean ends up in landfills or incinerators—contaminated by salt, seaweed, and grime that traditional recycling centers can’t handle.
But SeaSweepers, a Miami-based company, is trying to change the narrative.
This Saturday, May 10, SeaSweepers will host SeaCycle, a first-of-its-kind event at Kenneth M. Myers Bayside Park in Coconut Grove, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. The event will show how ocean plastic can be not just removed — but repurposed.
“We don’t just want to collect plastic, we want to transform it," Naveen Sydney, CEO of SeaSweepers, told WLRN.
"Repurposing marine debris is critical because it’s the only way to close the loop and prove that ocean cleanups can lead to real, measurable change," he said. "Otherwise, this waste ends up in landfills or incinerators, continuing the cycle."
"When there’s no clear destination for the plastic, the burden just shifts from one community to another," he added. "With our re:Trace™ platform and our marine-focused recycling initiative, we’re hoping to turn the tide on marine pollution.”
SeaSweepers, said Sydney, works closely with nonprofit partners like Ocean Aid 360, Shark Allies, and the Conch Republic Marine Army.
Plastic pollution is a global problem. The world creates 57 million tons of plastic pollution every year and spreads it from the deepest oceans to the highest mountaintop to the inside of people’s bodies, according to a study released last year.
It’s enough pollution each year — about 52 million metric tons — to fill New York City’s Central Park with plastic waste as high as the Empire State Building, according to researchers at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. They examined waste produced on the local level at more than 50,000 cities and towns across the world for a study in the journal Nature.
South Florida experts say more than 4,000 pounds of marine waste — including ghost traps, abandoned fishing ropes, and other plastic debris — has already been recovered from the waters off Miami, Key Biscayne, and The Bahamas. That trash is now being cleaned, scanned, traced, and transformed into sustainable products such as playground equipment, building materials, park benches, and outdoor furniture.
Saturday’s SeaCycle event will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the transformation process, along with interactive exhibits, volunteer opportunities, and allow those in attendance to witness firsthand the growing movement that turns marine waste into community resources.
For more information or to RSVP, visit SeaSweepers.org.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
