Trash-Eating Robot To Tour Pinellas Beaches This Month

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Pinellas County sun lovers will find themselves sharing the beach throughout July with an unusual companion.

During a news conference Tuesday at Madeira Beach, Keep Pinellas Beautiful unveiled a beach-cleaning robot that will patrol Pinellas County beaches throughout July.

In partnership with Seagram's Escapes, Keep Pinellas Beautiful is launching the BeBot Beach Tour Series featuring BeBot, a golf cart-sized automatic garbage-eating beach comber.

Donated to Keep Florida Beautiful by Surfing's Evolution and Preservation Foundation, a nonprofit focused on maintaining healthy beaches in Florida, BeBot is a new technology developed by marine manufacturer Poralu Marine. It is an eco-friendly beach cleaning robot that mechanically sifts through sand to remove plastic waste and other debris without harming the local environment.

Manned by trained staff, BeBot works alongside volunteers to keep beaches clean while serving as a teaching tool to bring awareness of the harm plastics and other throwaways can pose to shorebirds, sea turtles and other marine life.

The machine runs on a mix of solar and battery power. Once BeBot is full, the operator empties the robot and then the BeBot can resume its duties.

"The eco-friendly companion removes litter as small as 1 centimeter, like fragmented plastics and cigarette butts that might otherwise go unnoticed," said Keep Pinellas Beautiful educator Brittany Bandy. "Plastic marine debris destroys marine habitats, injures wildlife, affects human health and safety, and harms our economy. Over time, plastic breaks up into smaller pieces called microplastics which have a devastating impact on the environment."

This doesn't mean an end to group beach cleanups, she added.

"The BeBot’s purpose is not to replace volunteers, but to visualize what debris is left behind on the beach," Bandy said. "Thanks to Seagram’s Escapes investment in local beaches, the BeBot will be touring 14 beaches in Pinellas County."

Beach goers will be able to see the sand-cleaning robot in action at the following locations:

• North Redington Beach Cleanup and BeBot Demo at DoubleTree Beach Resort July 6
• Clearwater Beach Cleanup and BeBot Demo at Bob Heilman’s Beachcomber July 8
• St. Pete Beach Cleanup and BeBot Demo at the TradeWinds Resort July 9
• Treasure Island Cleanup and BeBot Demo at the Bilmar Beach Resort July 10
• Honeymoon Island State Park Cleanup and BeBot Showcase July 13
• Indian Shores Cleanup and BeBot Demo July 14
• Ft. DeSoto Park Cleanup and BeBot Demo July 15
• Upham Beach Cleanup and BeBot Demo with Green Peacemakers July 17
• St. Pete Pier Spa Beach Cleanup and Demo July 20
• Fred Howard Park Cleanup and BeBot Demo July 22
• Clearwater Beach Cleanup and BeBot Demo at Winter The Dolphin’s Beach Club July 25
• Tarpon Springs Sunset Beach Cleanup and BeBot Demo July 27
• Gandy Beach Cleanup and BeBot Demo July 30

July’s BeBot tour through Keep Pinellas County will be followed by several more tours throughout the state.

BeBot was funded with proceeds from the sale of the “Endless Summer” Florida license plates, which benefit Surfing’s Evolution and Preservation Foundation.