Joint Press Release by the City of Rostock and the University of Rostock: Use of PortBins in Rostock’s City Harbor to Collect Plastic Waste from the Warnow
In a joint initiative by the University of Rostock and the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), supported by the Harbor and Maritime Office of the City of Rostock, waste containers for collecting plastic waste from the Warnow River have been installed in Rostock’s city harbor. This measure aims to capture plastic waste before it reaches the Baltic Sea and becomes marine litter.
As part of the project, the waste collected in the containers, known as PortBins, will be analysed over the course of a year. Scientists from the University of Rostock and the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) will examine the quantities and types of waste, as well as the origin of the litter. These analyses will help develop strategies for waste prevention.
“With the PortBins, we can not only remove current waste from the Warnow but also gather valuable data that will help us find long-term solutions,” says Mona-Maria Narra, project leader at the University of Rostock.
Special attention is being given to the impact of events such as celebrations in the city or heavy rainfall on the amount of waste in the Warnow. By specifically analysing these events, further measures will be developed to minimise the entry of plastics into rivers and ultimately the seas. The deployment of PortBins in Rostock’s city harbour marks an important step towards a cleaner harbour area and a more sustainable future for the Baltic Sea.
The senator responsible for the Harbor and Maritime Office, Dr. Chris von Wrycz Rekowski, emphasizes the project’s importance for the city: “This initiative complements our existing programs ‘MeinHafenDeinHafen’ and ‘WASSER.WARNOW.WIR’ very well. We aim to develop the city harbour into an attractive public space for all visitors. Environmental protection and cleanliness are essential, primarily through waste prevention but also through waste removal. The trial use of PortBins offers a promising solution, which we are happy to support by participating in the project.”
Public emptying of the PortBins, including Q&A sessions, takes place continuously at the Haedge Basin in Rostock’s city harbor.
The study is part of the Interreg South Baltic project “Circular Ocean-bound Plastic,” where similar measures are being implemented simultaneously in partner cities in Poland, Denmark, and Sweden. The goal is to improve environmental conditions in harbour cities around the southern Baltic Sea and to keep the Baltic Sea clean through joint efforts. By employing modern technologies and collaborating with international partners, the project aims to reduce pollution in the Baltic Sea and raise awareness of the importance of clean water.
More information can be found at https://circularoceanplastic.eu
Contact
Mona-Maria Narra
Project Manager, University of Rostock
+49 381 498-3410
mona-maria.narra@uni-rostock.de