Chapter I Introduction

Background of the Study

The amount of waste which finds its way into lakes, rivers and the oceans are
a significant environmental problem and a major issue in modern society. Marine
plastic debris are considered as a global threat to marine biodiversity. A plethora of
species has been reported that plastic has caused mortality that succumbed to the
harmful effects of these marine pollutants such as drowning, gastro-intestinal
blockage, and stomach rupture among others (Kühn et al. 2015). Such wastes leaches
chemicals into the water, and can disrupt the normal ecological functions of the
bodies of water in large portion that flows into waterways, lakes, rivers where
pollution enters through both commercial and recreational means. These source of
pollution that comes from everyday use of aquatic vehicles, to the people using the
water as a source of entertainment, irresponsible throwing of garbage, leftover marine
waste quickly makes it way out to sea becomes introduced to the wildlife and causes
many different problems.In the Philippines, solid waste management remains a major
challenge especially in urban areas like Metro Manila. Improper wastes disposal,
inefficient wastes collection and lack of disposal facilities are among the dominant
concerns in the country’s solid waste management. Unless these are addressed, the
wastes generated from various sources will continually lead to health hazards and
serious environmental impacts such as ground and surface water contamination,
flooding, air pollution and spread of diseases.

Waste generation continues to rise with the increase in population,

improvement of living standards, rapid economic growth, and industrialization
especially in the urban areas. The table below shows the waste generation of the
Philippines in tons per day froom 2012-2016.
 Statistics released by the National Solid Waste Management Commission
(NSWMC) calculated that from 37,427.46 tons per day in 2012, the country’s waste
generation steadily increased to 40,087.45 tons in 2016 with an estimated average per
capita waste generation of 0.40 kilograms per day for both urban and rural. The
National Capital Region (NCR), as expected, generated the biggest volume of wastes
for the past five years due to its population size, bigger number of establishments and
modernized lifestyle. With an estimated population of 12 million people, Metropolitan
Manila generated 9,212.92 tons per day of wastes in 2016. It is followed by Region
4A with waste generation of 4,440.15 tons per day (11.08%) and Region 3 with
3,890.12 tons per day (9.70 %).

These world wide epidemic rises together with different solutions in capturing
the debris that is introduced to the water. The present invention relates to a device to
be deployed within such bodies of water by capturing any pollutants that try to make
it into the system. Cleaning the ocean sometimes is an impossible task due to the
sheer massive lengths of waters worldwide. A cultural epiphany can occur, however,
if society makes an attempt to dispose of waste properly before it reaches the open
ocean.

Objectives of the Study

This study generally aims to design and develop a low cost, reliable,
sustainable, and efficient marine trash collector that could collect water borne plastics
and trash 24 hours a day in marina, ports, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water
where winds and minor water currents are constantly moving in a relatively controlled
environment.

Specifically, this device will be able to:

 a. Collect waste from the device that is installed in a specific target
problem area that ensures wind and water currents bring debris to the
marine trash collector.
b. Integrate the sensor module into a microcontroller to function as one
device.
c. Program the device that can automatically stop the operation of motor
from vacuuming before the marine trash collector fully filled up.
d. Test and evaluate the system based on its functionality and reliability.

Scope and Limitations of the Study

The scope of this study is not intended to collect large objects, the installed
system cannot separate oil and water, thus, cannot filter the water, and only captures
floating waste and debris on the water’s surface. Nevertheless, it can collect plastic
bags, bottles, paper, wood and other types of debris.
Meanwhile, the study limits only to the following:
1. It doesn’t capture the entire depth of plastics, only floating material.
2. It is only suitable for areas where water currents and wind is suitably
calm and constant.
3. Submerged marine waste is unattainable. Although plastic is buoyant,
garbage doesn't just end up on the ocean's surface some of it is actually
below the surface.
4. The speed and effectivity of collection depends on the density of garbage
near the vicinity and the relative speed of the wind and water currents
going to the marine trash collector.
5. A motor attach to the device that acts as a vacuum to suck the water, but
limits only to the waste accumulated and pose no threat to marine life.
6. Not all amassed plastics is unlikely to be recycled because polymer
chains break down too readily when prolonged exposure to the sun that
leads to a lower-grade plastic product and not a solution to the problem
of disposable plastics (Boyan Slat et al. 2013).
 Chapter 2 Conceptual Framework

Review of Related Literature and Studies

2.2 Self-Monitoring Automated Route Trash Bin (SMART Bin)

This study aims to develop an automated mobile robot that can navigate
autonomously and accept trash from different offices. In a research filed by Cabilo
2014,The SMART Bin has two primary functions: (1) monitoring its trash bin, and;
(2) navigating through its own without external control. For the first function, an
internal sensor will be used to monitor the contents of the bin. Once the bin reached a
maximum weight, the cover of the trash can will be closed and locked. Personnel
from the garbage collecting staff will be unlocking the cover to empty the bin. It is
then desired in this study to make a similar approach at the present device. Once the
Smart marine trash collector reached the level of threshold, the motor will stop its
operation, then if regularly checked, authorized personnel will empty the marine bin
and start again the motor operation. For the second function, the contraption moves
autonomously with the help of sensors that will detect hindrances and are employed
so that the contraption will be guided along the walls. This 2nd function, however,
aims to use complex approach to navigation and garbage collection. Using the
modules of these related studies will defeat the purpose of our objectives. Therefore,
the first function is the target objective.

2.3 Seabin Project

An australian invention of the patented device, co founder and CEO, Peter Ceglinski,
developed a V5 Seabin that is a floating debris interception device designed to be
installed in the water of marinas, yachts, clubs, ports, and any water body with a calm
environment and services available. The Seabin’s catch bag holds 20kgs of debris.
The estimated average catch is 1.5kg per day (depending on weather and debris
volumes) including micro plastics down to 2mm small. Our desired present study will
make the same manner. However, it will be in smaller-scale, and capturing
microplastic is not included based on our objectives.
The existing device moves up and down with the range of tide collecting all
floating rubbish. Water is sucked in from the surface and passes through a catch bag
inside the Seabin, with a submersible water pump capable of displacing 25,000 liters
per hour, plugged directly into a 110/220V outlet. The water is then pumped back into
the marina leaving litter and debris trapped in the catch bag to be disposed of
properly. The present device can resort to a similar approach, however, in a smaller
density for capturing debris, an automatic water level controller motor instead of a
submersible water pump, and its manner of capturing can be any part of bodies of
water as long as there is an existing constant calm water current and wind direction.

Definition of Terms

Conceptual Model
The figure below shows the concept of Marine Trash Collector.

Figure 1. Conceptual Model of the Study

As shown in Figure 1, the input of the system is the