Plastic pollution has become one of the most visible conservation issues facing marine environments, but some of the biggest concerns involve plastic that is difficult to see.
Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that can persist in oceans and waterways and become part of the marine ecosystem. Suzuki Marine has taken an unusual approach to the issue: developing technology that allows certain outboard motors to collect microplastics while a boat is underway.
The technology is part of the Suzuki Clean Ocean Project, a broader initiative built around three commitments: conducting cleanup efforts, reducing plastic packaging and collecting marine microplastic waste.
Suzuki announced development of its Micro-Plastic Collecting Device in 2020 and later conducted monitoring surveys in 14 countries, including the United States. In 2022, Suzuki began production of five mid-range outboard models with the device as standard equipment.
The concept is surprisingly simple.
Suzuki outboards already draw in water for cooling. The collecting device takes advantage of that existing water flow, filtering used cooling water to capture small pieces of plastic rather than requiring an entirely separate pumping system. Suzuki says the system is designed so it does not sacrifice engine performance, even if the collection filter becomes clogged.
As Suzuki describes the concept, “micro-plastics near the water surface can be collected simply by running the boat.”
Suzuki Marine Executive Vice President Gus Blakely said development began with a different approach.
“It originally started off as a collection bag, and then it went to a filter,” Blakely said. “We wanted to have a product that would operate flawlessly so the customer doesn’t have to worry.”
The company says cooling water passes through the filter until collected material begins filling it, at which point water can divert through the other side of the system. The filter can then be emptied.
The technology is only one piece of Suzuki’s larger effort. The Clean Ocean Project also includes organized cleanups of beaches and waterways and efforts to reduce plastic used in packaging for outboards and genuine parts. Suzuki says more than 19,000 people have participated in its worldwide cleanup campaign since 2011.
For anglers and boaters, the microplastic collector presents an interesting idea in marine conservation. The same outboard taking someone across a bay, lake or coastal waterway can also collect tiny pieces of plastic along the way.
It’s a small-scale approach to an enormous environmental problem, but it puts conservation technology directly into the hands of people who spend their lives on the water.