Sydney Harbour experienced its highest levels of plastic pollution in June 2024, coinciding with the Vivid Sydney festival. According to Seabin, this spike in pollution is linked to the festival, which attracted over 3.5 million visitors over a three-week period.
Pete Ceglinski, CEO of Seabin, highlighted the issue on LinkedIn, stating, "Our oceans and environment are hurting. We need to do better than this."
Data from Seabin revealed significant increases in various types of plastic pollution during the festival month:
- 538,052 plastic items captured: an increase of 54.63 per cent from May
- 293,554 microplastics captured: an increase of 57.18 per cent from May
- 168 per cent increase in cigarette butts
- 114 per cent increase in plastic food wrappers
- 77 per cent increase in hard food packaging items
The Seabin Foundation, which monitors plastic pollution through its network of floating rubbish bins installed in marinas, ports, and yacht clubs worldwide, noted that the festival's high attendance likely contributed to the surge in pollution.
The Seabin is designed to collect floating debris, helping to mitigate the impact of plastic waste on marine environments. The recent data underscores the need for better waste management practices during large events to protect our oceans.
