5 Biggest Ocean Cleaning Companies and Startups

3. Clearwater Mills

Clearwater Mills is a small-scale startup that removes trash from waterways. The Maryland-based company’s website says that its Trash Interceptor removes 20 tons of trash per month from the mouth of the Jones Falls, stopping it from entering Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. According to a CNBC report, Clearwater Mills’ founder John Kellett got inspiration to design a trash removing wheel after years of seeing trash pouring into the Baltimore Harbor after big storms.

Clearwater Mills’ trash-catching wheels collect trash from rivers and waterways though a smart system designed by the company and its engineers.

In 2019, Yamaha entered a partnership with the company to design a device to remove plastics and other floating debris from coastal stormwater systems in coastal Georgia. A statement at the time said that the device would be land-based and electrically-powered.

Clearwater Mills’ primary trash-removing wheel is known as Mr. Trash Wheel, which has become a celebrity in the local community.