Meet Mr. Trash Wheel Who Eats Trash For Lunch
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Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor initiate has set themselves a challenge to reconnect the citizens of Baltimore to their environment and it is using a watermill-like trash-eating wheel to do that. Daniel Chase and John Kellet designed what locals call the Mr. Trash Wheel, and so far the barge has “eaten” over 1 million pounds (which is about 100K pounds more than a Boeing 747 weighs), but its appetite only grows! Healthy Harbor aims to make the Baltimore Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2020 and Mr. Trash Wheel is one of their most contributing solutions. It combines hydro and solar energy to collect litter and debris flowing down the Jones Falls River. The river’s current provides power to turn the water wheel, which lifts trash and debris from the water and deposits it into a dumpster barge. When there isn’t enough water current, a solar panel array provides additional power to keep the machine running. When the dumpster is full, it’s towed away by boat, and a new dumpster is put in place. “Ultimately our goal is to put the water wheel out of business,” Healthy Harbor’s Adam Lindquist says. “It’s great because it’s immediate and innovative, but the real solution is that people need to change their behavior.”
Click to unmute
Waterfront Partnership’s Healthy Harbor initiate has set themselves a challenge to reconnect the citizens of Baltimore to their environment and it is using a watermill-like trash-eating wheel to do that. Daniel Chase and John Kellet designed what locals call the Mr. Trash Wheel, and so far the barge has “eaten” over 1 million pounds (which is about 100K pounds more than a Boeing 747 weighs), but its appetite only grows! Healthy Harbor aims to make the Baltimore Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2020 and Mr. Trash Wheel is one of their most contributing solutions. It combines hydro and solar energy to collect litter and debris flowing down the Jones Falls River. The river’s current provides power to turn the water wheel, which lifts trash and debris from the water and deposits it into a dumpster barge. When there isn’t enough water current, a solar panel array provides additional power to keep the machine running. When the dumpster is full, it’s towed away by boat, and a new dumpster is put in place. “Ultimately our goal is to put the water wheel out of business,” Healthy Harbor’s Adam Lindquist says. “It’s great because it’s immediate and innovative, but the real solution is that people need to change their behavior.”
Are people in Baltimore going out of their way to throw trash in the harbor? Seems like it.
Not really. You would be surprised how much trash escapes from cans on pickup day. If you've ever done adopt-a-highway, or a similar program, you quickly realize that only a small percentage of what you pick up actually flew out of car windows. Sure, there is plenty of 'litter' but come on, who's throwing water-softener salt bags out of the window of their car? Nobody. The harbor above looks terrible because it is the end-point for litter from a vast area which is collected all in one place. If you calculated the land area upwind of the watershed of this river, that's not much trash per unit-area.
Load More Replies...Well this is interesting. We now have a floating machine here, who is now a person, and a male at that. No more 'It' or 'that' or 'which. Now this Mr. Trash is a 'he' and 'who'. Has this convert also been officially , and legally, declared a person yet? Just curious.
I think it would be better if Trash Wheel had a title, they are a professional after all! Dr. Trash Wheel, Prof. Trash Wheel, Cpt. Trash Wheel, Arrrrgh, Cap'n Wheel it is ;)
Load More Replies...Awesome and amazingly sad all at the same time. It is completely unnecessary if people would just be responsible with their refuse/garbage. It's quite simple really! This far into the 21st century and litter is still an issue. Makes me sad for my children.
By the way this is really great and we need a lot to clean up what dummies have left behind. A really big one for the great trash eye in the ocean.
I live in Baltimore, we have a complex system of streams abd waterways that drain into the harbor that carry with them alot of trash. We actually have 2 of these trash wheels: Mr Trash Wheel and Professor Trash Wheel. There is a fundraiser going on now for a third wheel. Both wheels have giant googly eyes!
In Swedish waters, there is no debris. Swedes throw trash where it should be. A machine like this would have been completely unnecessary in Sweden.
"Every river needs a Mr Trash Wheel" - erm, no! No river should NEED a Mr Trash Wheel but, sadly, look at the mess we have made.
Are people in Baltimore going out of their way to throw trash in the harbor? Seems like it.
Not really. You would be surprised how much trash escapes from cans on pickup day. If you've ever done adopt-a-highway, or a similar program, you quickly realize that only a small percentage of what you pick up actually flew out of car windows. Sure, there is plenty of 'litter' but come on, who's throwing water-softener salt bags out of the window of their car? Nobody. The harbor above looks terrible because it is the end-point for litter from a vast area which is collected all in one place. If you calculated the land area upwind of the watershed of this river, that's not much trash per unit-area.
Load More Replies...Well this is interesting. We now have a floating machine here, who is now a person, and a male at that. No more 'It' or 'that' or 'which. Now this Mr. Trash is a 'he' and 'who'. Has this convert also been officially , and legally, declared a person yet? Just curious.
I think it would be better if Trash Wheel had a title, they are a professional after all! Dr. Trash Wheel, Prof. Trash Wheel, Cpt. Trash Wheel, Arrrrgh, Cap'n Wheel it is ;)
Load More Replies...Awesome and amazingly sad all at the same time. It is completely unnecessary if people would just be responsible with their refuse/garbage. It's quite simple really! This far into the 21st century and litter is still an issue. Makes me sad for my children.
By the way this is really great and we need a lot to clean up what dummies have left behind. A really big one for the great trash eye in the ocean.
I live in Baltimore, we have a complex system of streams abd waterways that drain into the harbor that carry with them alot of trash. We actually have 2 of these trash wheels: Mr Trash Wheel and Professor Trash Wheel. There is a fundraiser going on now for a third wheel. Both wheels have giant googly eyes!
In Swedish waters, there is no debris. Swedes throw trash where it should be. A machine like this would have been completely unnecessary in Sweden.
"Every river needs a Mr Trash Wheel" - erm, no! No river should NEED a Mr Trash Wheel but, sadly, look at the mess we have made.
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