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Automatic garbage bin promises to clean the oceans

Your marina (and the planet) could be cleaner thanks to a crowdfunding project.

Take a close look at the water in your local marina and you'll probably shudder at the amount of waste floating around. You'd practically need a dedicated clean-up crew to make it safe, wouldn't you? However, a pair of Australian surfers think they have a better way. Their crowdfunded Seabin promises to clean up marinas (and by extension, the ocean) through the one-two combo of a natural fiber garbage bin and an automated, above-the-water pump. It's almost too simple a concept, but it seems to work -- it sucks in all kinds of filth (including oil) and spits out clean water. You'd ideally leave a bunch of Seabins running at the dock all day, keeping the water relatively pristine.

Unlike a lot of crowdfunding projects, you probably won't be backing this expecting a Seabin in return. It'll require a hefty $3,825 pledge to get the gadget if and when it arrives in November 2016. With that said, it could still be worth chipping in a more modest amount. In addition to getting perks like clothing and prints, you're getting the ball rolling on a device that could both improve immediate seaside conditions and fight ocean pollution as a whole.