July 2, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Removing Plastic From Santa Monica Bay With Seabins

Cleaning the ocean, raising awareness

By Kai McNamee

In late June, Aussie surfer, innovator and clean ocean advocate Pete Ceglinski visited Marina Del Rey to install LA’s first two Seabins. Since their installation, the devices have been working to remove plastic pollution from the marina. The visit was a part of the Seabin America Tour; Ceglinsky and his team have been traveling along the California coast, installing Seabins and hosting public demonstrations along the way, since June. 

The Seabins, which stand around three feet tall, are anchored at strategic locations in the marina where winds and currents cause pollution to build up. With the top of each Seabin sitting at the surface of the water, the device works like a pool skimmer. 

“The idea basically stemmed from having a problem of all this marine litter that was just constantly in the water,” Ceglinsky said. “I love to surf, scuba dive, free dive, swim and fish, and personally, I don’t want to swim or surf in plastic — it sucks.” 

Pete Ceglinski talks with the public after installing the two Seabins in Marina Del Rey.

During the public demonstration at the marina, Ceglinsky fielded questions and described how the Seabins work.  “It started out with this very lateral thought: If we have trashcans on land, why don’t we have trashcans in the water to deal with all the floating plastic? And so we literally did that,” Ceglinksy said. “We have a trashcan, put it in the water, we put a water pump at the bottom, we skim the water from the top, we push it through the bottom, and we then we filter out all the trash, the plastic bags, and the bottles and even microplastics in a filter, which can then be removed.”

According to Ceglinsky, the Seabins in the marina have been collecting around ten pounds of trash every day. Ceglinsky says 720 Seabins have been installed in 40 countries around the world.

Although Seabins is still a small startup, Ceglinsky hopes to expand with more locations and products. The company has a model that floats in the water, and the company is aiming to get away from the docks and into open water. 

But the end goal for Ceglinsky is to eliminate the need for Seabins altogether. “The Seabins are great and they have a good impact,” Ceglinsky said. “But I think it’s really important to acknowledge that technology is not going to save our oceans. The only thing that’s going to save our oceans is education and changing our consumer behavior.” 

To achieve Ceglinsky’s long-term goal, his company is half for-profit and half nonprofit. On the for-profit side, the company sells pollution-reducing devices and technology; on the non-profit side, the company hosts educational programs and stem workshops targetting local schools and communities. The goal is to employ preventative measures to solve the world’s growing ocean pollution problem, Ceglinsky explained. 

“We’re working to do ourselves out of business,” Ceglinsky said. 

<>Related Posts

People are Using Palisades for “Disaster Tours.” Local Officials Are Trying to Stop Them

July 1, 2025

July 1, 2025

A new motion introduced to City Council requests a coordinated strategy from LADOT, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the...

Santa Monica Favorite Esters Rebrands as Esters Wine Shop & Oyster Bar

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

New Concept Launches With French-Spanish Flair and Free Bubbles Esters Wine Shop, the fave Parisian-style wine bar in downtown Santa...

Letter to the Editor: Santa Monica’s Great Park: It’s Time to Deliver on 100 Years of Promise

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

Santa Monica stands at the edge of history. For nearly a century, residents have consistently supported turning the airport land...

Why Nordstrom Says It’s Closing Its Santa Monica Place Location

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

A Nordstrom spokesperson explained the closure as a strategic realignment Nordstrom confirmed its decision to close its Santa Monica store...

Three-Bed Palisades Highlands Townhouse Hits Market for $1.7M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The Mediterranean-style property, located at 1529 Michael Lane, is part of a 71-unit community A remodeled 1,919-square-foot townhouse in the...

Six-Bed Mar Vista Hilltop Home Under Construction Lists for $5.3M

June 30, 2025

June 30, 2025

The private backyard is complete with a pool, spa, fire pit, built-in BBQ, and areas for outdoor dining A stunning...

(Video) Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction of Palisades Wildfires

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

With the reopening also comes a new exhibit, “The Kingdom of Pylos” Getty Villa Reopens Six Months After Dodging Destruction...

Free Virtual Planetarium Shows Coming to SMC in July

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The virtual format is in place as construction of the new SMC Planetarium and Observatory nears completion The Santa Monica...

Santa Monica Adopts $793.3M Budget for FY25-27, Prioritizing Housing and Safety

June 29, 2025

June 29, 2025

The budget preserves core services and invests in major projects, including over $1 billion in hotel investments The Santa Monica...

Iranian Pastor in West L.A. Speaks as Church Rocked by Immigration Raids 

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Five Detained as Fear Spreads Through Persian Christian Faith Community  Fear has spread through a West Los Angeles congregation after...

California Doubles Down on Hollywood: $750M in Tax Credits Approved for Film and TV Industry

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

State Lawmakers Back Major Expansion of Production Incentives, Raising Job Projections Los Angeles’ film and television industry is poised to...

Park: “Our Water Infrastructure Must Be Emergency-Ready Every Day”

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

Councilwoman expressed cautious relief at the news but emphasized the need for robust infrastructure The Los Angeles Department of Water...

Washington Square Pizza Opens to the Public

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

New York Style Pizza “By-The-Slice” Now at the Beach By Nick Antonicello  Washington Square Pizza formally opened its doors today...

California Allocates $5B for Road Repairs, Transit Expansion

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

The funding aims to improve road safety, reduce traffic congestion, and promote cleaner transportation California is investing nearly $5 billion...

THIS SUNDAY: Palisades Symphony Presents “Best of Broadway”

June 28, 2025

June 28, 2025

The performance will feature a full orchestra playing iconic selections, from John Philip Sousa’s *El Capitan* and George Gershwin’s *The...