4ocean, a purpose-driven B Corp with a mission to end the ocean plastic crisis, announces their partnership with Poralu Marine, a global leader in marine- grade technologies, on the launch of the BeBot in the United States, an impressive beach cleaning robotdesigned to recover coastal plastic debris. The electric-powered BeBot can clean up to 3,000 sqm of beach per hour, 20-30x more effective than collecting trash by hand. The machine is agile and easy to maneuver, a clear differentiator from existing options, and it specifically excels at removing small pieces of plastic and other trash that are notoriouslydifficult to clean by hand, using small 1 cm x 1 cm sifting grids to separate these items from the sand.
Traditional machines are typically very large, powered by gas, and often repurposed from other agricultural purposes, making them poorly suited for more delicate beach cleanup work. In contrast, the BeBot’s smaller footprint and more shallow cleaning depth of 10 cm, effectively removes common beach trashwhile avoiding disruptions to any nearby habitats or animals, providing a more effective and sustainable approach to cleanups.
“We are always searching for innovative technology to improve our cleanup capabilities and are thrilled to partner with Poralu Marine on introducing such an impactful piece of technology,” said Alex Schulze, 4ocean’s co-founder and CEO. “With the launch of the BeBot, we are able to work smarter andsustainably while recovering plastic that has already seen the ocean and preventing new plastic from ever getting there in the first place.”
Meant to be used daily, the BeBot is remote operated and can be controlled by an operator up to approximately 950 feet away. The robot makes minimal noise while cleaning and requires a much smaller footprint for storage, making it the ideal cleaning method for beaches in populated areas. This designapproach was intentionally created with cleaning trash in mind, which is a first of its kind. 4ocean is on track to remove 20 million pounds of trash by year’s end and the BeBot will be essential in helping the brand reach this important milestone.
Claire Touvier, member of the Environmental Solutions team from Poralu Marine noted “It is a real honor to present BeBot. We are very proud to be able tolaunch this new robot in the US with the help of 4ocean. This cutting edge technology was developed in Italy by a team of experts dedicated to robotics. While traditional machines equipped with wheels were degrading the shoreline, BeBot has groundbreaking and unpreceedented environmental assets. With a unique track system distributing equal and minimum pressure on the sand, BeBot reduces erosion. This innovative design also helps the preservation ofbiodiversity as it prevents the compression of turtles’ eggs and any vegetal ecosystem in the sand.”
This impressive beach cleaning robot represents important innovation in the ocean reclamation space, thinking creatively about the more effective, efficient and eco-friendly way to remove the small plastics that currently litter our beaches. 4ocean and Poralu Marine are thrilled collaborating as leaders in this space, preventing further pollution of our oceans.