Toronto, Ontario 9 August 2023
RanMarine, backed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has introduced WasteSharks to Canadian waters. Leveraging the Netherlands Enterprise Agency’s DHI program, aimed at bolstering Dutch businesses abroad, PortsToronto and Port of Halifax are beneficiaries of the latest aqua-drones. This initiative aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, promoting innovation, feasibility studies, and investment readiness.
Now in the summer of 2023, PortsToronto can proudly introduce their WasteShark aqua-drones named “Ebb and Flow”, as part of their visionary project set to revolutionise water cleanliness in Toronto Harbour. In tandem with PortsToronto’s Seabins, these autonomous Wastesharks will adeptly capture floating debris and plastic pollution, championing sustainability. Employing a Roomba-like approach, they effortlessly skim the water surface, channeling waste through a specialized catch basin and net. With a robust 180-liter capacity, each Wasteshark can eliminate up to 1100 lbs of waste daily. Based at the Outer Harbour Marina, these aquatic wonders will traverse target zones across the Toronto Harbour and waterfront, collecting data while supporting PortsToronto’s partnership with the University of Toronto (UofT) Trash Team.
About PortsToronto Trash Trapping Program
The PortsToronto Trash Trapping Program employs trash-trapping technology and solutions-based research to tackle plastic pollution and protect Toronto’s waters for future generations. Since 2019, the program has removed hundreds of thousands of small pieces of plastic pollution from the Toronto Harbour, moving the needle toward cleaner water in Lake Ontario.
The program is led by PortsToronto and the U of T Trash Team, in partnership with the Waterfront Business Improvement Area (WBIA) and the City of Toronto BIA Office Innovation Grant, Nieuport Aviation, the Toronto Zoo, Harbourfront Centre and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). It is part of the Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables Strategy, a collaborative strategy with a mission to reduce plastic pollution and other floating litter in the harbour, and of the International Trash Trapping Network, an initiative led by the U of T Trash Team and Ocean Conservancy, and has influenced the launch of similar trash trapping and data collection programs throughout the Great Lakes and beyond.
