A floating rubbish bin will help keep the marina at Hamilton Princess and Beach Club free of litter, thanks to Butterfield Bank.

The Bermuda-based bank and trust company has joined the Seabin Global Pilot Programmes and will install a pre-series V5 Hybrid Seabin to coincide with the start of the 35th America’s Cup.

As a Global Pilot partner, Butterfield will also introduce the Seabin Project’s education and research programmes in Bermuda to increase awareness of the problem of plastics in the ocean among the youth.

Pete Ceglinski, the managing director and co-founder of Seabin Project, stated: “The team and I at Seabin Project are extremely excited to announce this dynamic partnership.

“With Butterfield being the Official Bermuda Bank and providing sponsorship for the 35th America’s Cup, and partnering with Seabin Project at Hamilton Princess & Beach Club as the selected location, it will have a huge impact on the ocean plastics problem we are addressing with the Seabin technology.

“The fact they will be rolling out the tech, education and research programmes to some of their other locations around the world is nothing short of amazing.”

The Seabin is a floating rubbish bin placed at marinas, docks, yacht clubs and commercial ports around the world as a part solution to the current global littering problem. Water is siphoned in from the surface and passes through the natural fibre catch bag inside the Seabin. The water is pumped back into the marina leaving litter and debris trapped in the catch bag to be disposed of properly.

The Seabin at Hamilton Princess & Beach Club will be one of ten pre-series installations globally and during a test period of three months, experience and feedback including data from the debris collected will be gathered from the exclusive group, before commercial sales start midyear.

“The water filtering system will make a huge difference, collecting all floating rubbish, oils, fuel and detergents to tackle a local problem that has global implications,” Allan Federer, general manager of the Hamilton Princess, said. “We’re delighted to be involved in this environmentally-friendly project that will clean the water in the marina.”

Butterfield CEO Michael Collins added: “As an island-based financial services company, the economies and daily life in our communities are tied to the ocean.

“We are, therefore, focusing our corporate giving efforts on the protection of the marine environment. The Seabin Project with its innovative approach to addressing the problem of plastics in the ocean — combining technology and education — was a natural fit with our environmental focus, and we are pleased to be working with the Seabin Project team.”

Thanking the hotel for providing the “ideal location”, he added: “We look forward to developing similar partnerships in our other jurisdictions to support the roll-out of Seabin technology in those communities.”

• For more information, visit the Seabin Project website or the Facebook page