Deep Blue Cleanup started with a combined passion for the environment and educating youth. After several years teaching in the public school system, an elementary school teacher felt strongly that our students would benefit from authentic opportunities to learn about the harmful effects of plastic pollution, and what they can do to help solve the crisis. Next, co-founder and Executive Director Melanie Abdelnour deployed one trash trapping device, called a seabin, in the Ottawa River at the Nepean Sailing Club. In a short time, with the help of several partners, the project has turned into a network of 7 trash trapping devices in Ottawa and Montreal, and one in Tadoussac. With the help of our partners and donors, we have an ambitious goal to deploy 4 more in 2023!

Deep Blue Cleanup is a​ charity, focused on educating youth about plastic pollution and methods of cleaning our waters from harmful plastics, and micro-plastics. Deep Blue Cleanup puts a focus on the importance of creating a circular economy. We believe in education as a critical tool for kids to use to fight plastic pollution, and this is why we run shoreline cleanups and workshops. We partner with teacher ambassadors to provide opportunities for our youth to get involved and think critically about a solution to the plastic pollution problem. In the July of 2022, Deep Blue Cleanup partnered with 22 teachers across Toronto to create art with their students in an exhibit displayed at the Toronto Zoo to create awareness the importance of a circular economy for Plastic Free July. This exhibit and scavenger hunt taught the importance of reusing our plastic instead of buying new plastic, and ultimately creating an environment with less waste.

We work with our community members, partners and sponsors to organize fundraisers, with the mission to make The Seabin Project accessible and affordable to all marinas and ports, and increase the availability of trash for educational lessons for youth. We work with Carleton University Environmental Studies students and their professor Jesse Vermaire, to take samples from our seabins, with the objective to let the public know what’s being found in our waters.

Learn more about our mission, vision, and core values, as well as our team and board of directors below. You can find articles about us in the news here:

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/shore-cleanup-at-nepean-sailing-club-lets-families-take-action-on-pollution

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/seabin-ottawa-nepean-sailing-club-microplastics-pollution-1.6093403