SeaSweepers partners with conservation non-profits to identify key data points on Florida-based conservation efforts.

MIAMI, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, April 27, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- SeaSweepers LLC., a Miami-based marine plastics upcycling company, announced the completion of their first two research tours with ocean conservation partners Conch Republic Marine Army and FillABag. These tours act as a critical first step in initiating the SeaSweepers pilot project to document and publish the steps and requirements for an effective marine plastic recycling supply chain, specific to the underserved North and Central America regions. This pilot project, which will include the sourcing and processing of just over 1 ton of ocean plastics, will then be used as the foundation for their greater mission of creating the first US-based marine plastics recycling center.

"Our research trips to the Florida Keys & Key Biscayne with our non-profits partners were very successful. We identified several key conservation areas which are being cleaned up via the removal of plastic pollution, lobster/crab traps, plastic nets and ropes, and other plastic debris.” Said Taryn Larock, Chief Sustainability Officer and Co-Founder of SeaSweepers.

SeaSweepers Co-Founders Taryn Larock & Naveen Sydney traveled to two of the most beautiful areas in Florida - Big Pine Key & Key Biscayne - to see firsthand the retrieval methods, plastic types and quantities being removed from the ocean by their partner organizations. Additionally, SeaSweepers collected samples which will be used with their recycling equipment partners to confirm the correct selection and calibration of equipment to meet the specific requirements necessary for marine plastics recycling.

“Unfortunately, recycling ocean plastics is not as simple as taking what is collected and sending it to the local recycling center. Because of contaminates and plastic mixing, it takes special equipment and processes to effectively clean, identify, shred, and pelletize marine plastics.” Said Naveen Sydney, CEO and Founder at SeaSweepers. “That is why we started SeaSweepers, to fill that critical gap of dedicated recycling capabilities almost entirely missing on a global level with the ocean plastic recycling supply chain.”

“Much of the plastic removed from these areas is never recycled, and sadly is either incinerated or landfilled due to the current lack of recycling facility options.” Added Taryn Larock, expanding on the impact to both the environment and the people who inhabit it. “This current system of dealing with marine plastics that are being removed from coastlines is not only dangerous to human health and the environment, but is also incredibly wasteful, as we could be re-using these plastics to upcycle into millions of consumer goods. Incineration releases highly toxic chemical pollutants like microplastics, bisphenols, and phthalates — all which can disrupt neurodevelopment, endocrine, and reproductive functions, and has been linked to heart disease, respiratory issues, and neurological disorders. This is one of the key problems we are looking to solve by establishing appropriate recycling facilities for these plastics that traditional recycling facilities cannot work with."

As SeaSweepers develops its pilot project, they will also continue to expand their partnership research tour with an upcoming trip in the Bahamas, where they will meet with conservation and government leaders to better understand the local impact and discuss how a regionally based marine plastics recycling center can help reduce plastic pollution in the Bahamas.

About Conch Republic Marine Army
Conch Republic Marine Army is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the cleanup and restoration of the mangrove habitats of the Florida Keys, and has successfully removed more than 227 tons of trash and debris, including 2,693,639 feet of trap line from the mangroves in the Florida Keys among.

About FillABag
FillABag was founded in Key Biscayne, Florida in 2018 after winning a small grant from the Miami Foundation’s Public Space Challenge. By activating over 59 FillABag Stations across the US at beach paths, their mission is to empower people to turn ordinary beach walks into meaningful cleanups by providing reusable buckets to fill with trash as they stroll.

About SeaSweepers
SeaSweepers LLC. is based in Miami, Florida, is on a mission to create a new commercial ecosystem founded in removing ocean plastics and reimagines the sustainable supply chain. Both through direct impact of retrieving, cleaning and processing ocean plastics and by providing the digital platforms needed for sustainable businesses to thrive, we’re here to turn the plastic tide and save our seas. For more information and media inquiries, please contact info@seasweepers.io or visit www.seasweepers.io.

Naveen Sydney
SeaSweepers LLC
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