Cleaning Our Oceans: Darren Robertson and Pete Ceglinski

Byron Bay locals Darren Robertson, chef and owner of Three Blue Ducks and Pete Ceglinski, founder of ocean clean-up project, Seabin join forces to discuss this legendary cause.

Born and raised in Byron Bay, the ocean has always been central to Pete Ceglinski’s life. In 2014, he founded the Seabin Project, a revolutionary method of cleaning up our oceans with floating bins designed to catch rubbish, oil, fuel, detergent and micro plastics. Pete’s mission has always been to free our oceans of pollution; his realisation that human over-consumption and waste mismanagement is killing our oceans has motivated him to make an incredible impact on the environment.

From its inception, the Seabin Project was built from hard work and sacrifice. In 2014, Pete quit his job and used his life savings to lease and renovate an old disused furniture restoration factory in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. He learnt how to weld on YouTube and used a 60-year-old sewing machine to sew catch bags for the Seabins. Pete’s determination to make a difference is what sparked the project; “If we didn’t have a problem, we wouldn’t have the need for a solution, so literally seeing the plastics in the water inspired us to the simple act of putting a garbage bin in the water”, he says.

A passion for the ocean is something Three Blue Ducks owner and Chef, Darren Robertson shares with Pete. Also based in Byron Bay, Darren admires Pete’s dedication to protecting his coastal surroundings; “Pete is definitely a legend… he’s making genuine change to the environment around us. It’s amazing”, he says. To celebrate Pete’s incredible contribution to ocean conservation, we invited Darren to cook him a delicious Lamb dish.

Growing up, Lamb roasts were a Sunday family ritual for Darren. To him, Lamb is all about sharing and connecting with loved ones. Pete shares a similar sentiment; “I just envision your kids and your family sitting around a table or outside, having a BBQ and it’s just connecting with each other and really enjoying each other’s company”, he says.

When it comes to business, Pete looks up to Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard; “I just realised that he was doing amazing stuff and he had a successful business and he could help other people and help the environment and I was like one day if I ever have a business, I want to be like that guy.” With his Seabin Project now spanning over 50 countries and collecting 3.6 tonnes of marine litter each day, Pete is without a doubt a legend.

To learn more about Seabin Project, visit https://seabinproject.com/

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