New robot vacuum collects plastic waste in San Francisco's East Bay - Axios San FranciscoLog InLog InAxios San Francisco is an Axios company.

East Bay robot vacuum patrols for plastic

The Plastics Piranha in the water at Point San Pablo Harbor. Photo: Clean Earth Rovers A "" started roaming around Point San Pablo Harbor in the East Bay earlier this week, programmed to collect floating waste. Details: The Plastics Piranha, an autonomous, fully electric vessel, is the brainchild of a Cincinnati-based company called , who say they're the first in the U.S. to deploy the idea. The robot can carry up to 100 pounds of trash, and when it's done collecting, it returns to a specified home base to be emptied. Why it matters: An estimated 13 million tons of trash enter the ocean each year, or the "equivalent of a garbage truck emptying a load of plastic rubbish into the sea every minute," according to . The Plastics Piranha aims to intercept debris before it gets to the sea. What they're saying: "Our goal is to have [the robots] run continuously along as many harbors and marinas as possible," CEO Michael Arens told Axios. What's next: The effort in Point San Pablo — the company's first official pilot — is set to run for the next three months. Meanwhile, Arens said his team is "starting to have more conversations" with other harbors and marinas in the Bay Area, with the hopes of expanding the company's coverage here. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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