Plastic-guzzling robot gets to work in Canary Wharf

London's first WasteShark in Canary Wharf’s Middle Dock. Image: Aqua Libre

A plastic-eating marine robot has arrived at London’s central business district to keep a busy dock clear of waste.

WasteShark was launched in Canary Wharf’s Middle Dock, which contains water from the River Thames and includes an outdoor swimming zone. By guiding itself through water, WasteShark can travel up to 5km and collect up to 500kg of plastic waste - equivalent to 22,700 plastic bottles - per day, which is then recycled and reused where possible.

Created by robotics specialist RanMarine Technology, WasteShark also collects microplastics and other pollutants, as well as capture water quality data for monitoring and management. It is designed to be harmonious with the environment, producing no carbon, noise or light pollution as it travels.

"The idea is that, very much like a small autonomous vacuum cleaner, this machine can operate in a similar fashion, cleaning the water constantly."

Richard Hardiman, RanMarine

RanMarine founder Richard Hardiman said, “The purpose of the WasteShark is to remove waste, litter, plastics and harmful algae from the surface of the water. The idea is that, very much like a small autonomous vacuum cleaner, this machine can operate in a similar fashion, cleaning the water constantly.

“Our purpose is to develop technology to make our world a more liveable place and ease the pressure humans are adding to our fragile water resources and ecosystems.”

WasteShark removes waste from the surface of the water. Image: Aqua Libre

The Canary Wharf WasteShark is the first to be launched in London - the result of a partnership between RanMarine, sparkling water brand Aqua Libra, part of Britvic, and Canary Wharf Group. For RanMarine, which is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, is it also a first WasteShark partnership with a developer and corporate sponsor.

Sophie Goddard, director of sustainability, Canary Wharf Group, said, “We aim to transform urban spaces into extraordinary environments which work for nature, as well as people. As part of this, we are so pleased to be launching the WasteShark in partnership with Aqua Libra. This innovative marine technology will help us to tackle waste and maintain the environment."

Steve Potts, managing director, Britvic Beyond the Bottle said, “Ensuring packaging never becomes waste is a core part of our vision, and we are excited to be bringing the brilliantly innovative WasteShark technology to London, in partnership with the team at Canary Wharf Group, to help tackle plastic pollution in this revolutionary way.”