END PLASTIC SOUP

Thanks to numerous individual and club donations totaling CHF 36,000, a District Grant of around CHF 6,000, and existing funds, Mare Nostrum was able to commission the construction of a "SeaHamster" this summer. The waste collection boat is set to begin operations in the Mekong Delta later this year.

Through optimization measures (building the boat in Cambodia), investment costs were reduced, allowing the savings to be used for operational infrastructure (shredders and presses) and maintenance.

The operation of the boat will be funded by One Earth – One Ocean, an organization with extensive experience in this field.

The acquisition of this SeaHamster is a significant collective achievement. Mare Nostrum thanks all those who made this project possible.

Why a SeaHamster from One Earth – One Ocean?

One way to address the plastic pollution problem is through collection and recycling. The environmental organization One Earth – One Ocean, based in Munich, tackles this issue on a large scale. With their specially designed collection boats in various sizes, they achieve noticeable results in removing the large floating trash islands from the water’s surface. These not only mar the landscape but also suffocate the life beneath them.

The collection vessels are individually adapted to the local water landscape. For smaller boats operating on lakes and rivers, different tools such as nets, ramps, or conveyor belts are used depending on the need, allowing the crew to work efficiently and effectively.

Mare Nostrum's goal was to donate such a collection boat. The so-called SeaHamster has a collection capacity of up to 500 kg per trip. On average, around 1.5 tons of plastic and other waste can be recovered from the waters each day.