Mr. Trash Wheel is a semi-autonomous trash interceptor that is placed at the end of a river, stream or other outfall. Far too lazy to chase trash around the ocean, Mr. Trash Wheel stays put and waits for the waste to flow to him. Sustainably powered and built to withstand the biggest storms, Mr. Trash Wheel uses a unique blend of solar and hydro power to pull hundreds of tons of trash out of the water each year.

Using containment booms, trash flowing down the river is funneled into Mr. Trash Wheel’s gaping mouth. The booms have a 2-foot skirt that allows them to capture trash floating beneath the surface. Fun fact: The trash booms also help stop oil slicks from polluting the water.

Powered by the sun and the current of the river, Mr. Trash Wheel’s rake lifts litter out of the water and onto his conveyor belt. The conveyor belt moves very slowly but is strong enough to lift anything that comes down the river including tires, mattress, and even trees.

Mr. Trash Wheel’s giant, 14-foot, water wheel is the engine that powers his rakes and conveyor. When there’s not enough water current, solar panels power pumps that pump water on to the wheel to keep it churning.

Fun fact: Mr. Trash Wheel can operate in tidal waterways, which means he keeps churning even if the river is flowing upstream!

When trash reaches the top of the conveyor belt it falls into a dumpster sitting on a separate floating barge. Once the dumpster fills it is towed away and replaced with an empty dumpster.

Ideally, the plastic Mr. Trash Wheel picks up gets recycled, but current sorting technologies are unable to separate the plastics from all the other trash. For the time being, the best alternative is to incinerate the trash to create electricity.