Suzuki Makes a Splash in the Fight Against Microplastics
By Laura Gatlin
Imagine you’re on a boat; soaking up the sun and chilling with your friends. The sea breeze whisks your hair wildly, destination unknown. All as you glide over the glistening waves that sparkle off the water.
Now imagine this while also filtering out harmful microplastic pollution! This achievement happens by simply running the engine on your boat.
Cruising the open ocean, while also removing dangerous microplastic. That is exactly what Suzuki had in mind.
Suzuki Motor Corporation’s Clean Ocean Project developed an ingenious groundbreaking new technology. They introduced the world’s first Microplastic Collecting Device for outboard boat motors.
“What’s an Outboard Motor, Anyways?” You Ask
In layman’s terms, an outboard motor is a type of marine engine that hangs off the back of a boat. This means the entire engine, mid housing, and lower unit is bolted to the back. You don’t have to worry about it taking up any onboard cabin space either.
Outboard engines are quite popular and found on:
- Deck boats
- Pontoon boats
- Aluminum fishing boats
- Bass boats
- Smaller day boats
- Some high-performance off-shore fishing boats
Even some small cruizers are powered with an outboard motor. (Other types of boats can have inboard-outboard motors. This is where the engine is somewhere on the inside of the boat, usually below deck.)
Imagine a brighter future. One in which the majority of outboard motors remove microplastics from the water. This is the vision Suzuki had, and they’re about to make this dream a reality.
Installing Suzuki’s Outboard Microplastic Pollution Solution
Suzuki’s design team made sure their new Microplastic Filtering Device is compact. Not only that, they made sure it’s easy to install. It simply serves as an engine modification that attaches to your boat’s existing motor.
The powertrain is on the outside of an outboard-powered boat. So, installing Suzuki’s Filtering Device is easy. You only need to attach Suzuki’s Microplastic Filtering Device to your engine’s return hose. Then you’re all set!
The device works by filtering the water after it has passed through your motor’s cooling system. This happens before the water returns back to the ocean.
So, while enjoying your favorite marine activity, you’re actively improving the environment. That’s because Suzuki makes it easy to rid the ocean of harmful microplastics.
Cleaner Oceans With Minimal Effort
Marine microplastic pollution is rising at an alarming rate. This is the reason why Suzuki’s Marine Team has been hard at work. They wanted to figure out a convenient method to help our precious oceans.
Suzuki’s outboard motor modification does more than remove microplastics from marine water. It also:
- Doesn’t affect your boat’s engine performance
- Doesn’t impact the cooling efficiency of your engine
- Doesn’t further harm the environment in any way
- Is installable to any Suzuki outboard motor 40 HP and up
- Collects and filters a wide range of microplastics
Suzuki’s Revolutionary Leadership in Innovation
These days, consumers need to feel a connection to a brand. This connection helps them to trust in a company’s products and services. They want to know the story behind the brand and what the brand stands for.
This Microplastic Collecting Device demonstrates leadership by Suzuki. This is because it benefits the entire planet. This new invention further positions Suzuki as a trustworthy and compassionate company.
Suzuki’s new device won’t cause any harm or performance issues if the filter becomes full. This means you’ll get to enjoy your favorite marine activity without interruptions. That’s ingenious!
Mark Beeley of Great Britain’s Suzuki Marine and ATV unit said,
“This is the first time in marine history that an outboard motor system is being utilized to collect microplastics from the ocean.”
He further commented, “We are really excited by this announcement. I must congratulate the factory on this ground-breaking development. This is part of Suzuki’s continuing determination to devise innovative solutions. Solutions that mitigate the serious impact of plastic waste on our natural environment.”
How Harmful Are Ocean Microplastics?
Microplastics are smaller than 5 millimeters long and consist of tiny particles. These particles are made of synthetic petroleum products and fossil fuels. They consist of nylon, wood chips, and urethane. Urethane is a synthetic compound material made of both plastic and rubber.
The term “microplastics” means broken-down plastic that shouldn’t be in our oceans. They end up in the sea when trash isn’t properly disposed of. This trash, often single-use plastics, gets into our waterways, lakes, and streams. It then ends up in our oceans where it breaks down into smaller particles. These form microplastics.
Marine animals ingest plastic pollution, mistaking it for a food source. Microplastics end up in our soil and in our bodies, regardless of where you live.
A study conducted by researcher Phillip Schwabl produced alarming results. “The smallest particles are capable of entering the bloodstream and the lymphatic system. They may even reach the liver.”
There are over 150,000,000 tons of marine plastic waste currently in the ocean. There’s even an estimated 8,000,000 tons of new plastic pollution flowing into the ocean every year. This is equal to the mass of 50,000 jet airplanes.
And most plastic is never reused or recycled.
Suzuki’s Clean Up the World Campaign
In 2011, Suzuki’s Marine Division launched a global Clean Up The World campaign. Over 8,000 participants from 26 different Suzuki distributors participated. Two important objectives of this Clean Up The World campaign were to:
- Reduce plastic packaging
- Collect marine plastic waste
In 2019, Suzuki collected over 550 kilograms of plastic waste in the Philippines. This was an astounding achievement. That said, preventing plastic waste from ending up in the ocean and waterways is always key.
Suzuki is also packaging its genuine marine parts using eco-friendly materials. So instead of using single-use plastic, they’re using paper.
Suzuki understands that ocean currents take microplastics all over the world. So regardless of which country you’re in, microplastic pollution affects your life. Toxic microplastics end up in our soil, in our bodies, and can cause irreversible damage to our health.
Hello Suzuki Clean Ocean Project. Bye Bye Microplastics!
In October 2020, Suzuki introduced the Clean Ocean Project. The mission of the Clean Ocean Project is to reduce plastic waste in the marine environment.
Along with this announcement, Suzuki also introduced their new Microplastic Collecting Device.
Suzuki plans to incorporate their new Filtering Device on all new outboard motors. This filtering device is set to launch in 2021.
Ocean microplastic pollution is rising at an alarming rate and only gets worse with time. Suzuki understands that microplastics never truly go away. They’re an immediate and critical threat to our planet.
Suzuki’s Proactive Approach to Reduce Microplastic Ocean Pollution
Some states are forced to clean up the ocean because of new legislation. For example, California voted to impose a ban on single-use plastic bags back in 2014, which is great.
Yet, Suzuki has taken it upon themselves to help our oceans without being forced to. This truly speaks of their character!
Wouldn’t it be incredible if more companies took Suzuki’s lead? Wouldn’t it be amazing if more companies made an effort to reduce ocean pollution on a global scale?
This type of phenomenal leadership should be praised. Suzuki is a corporation that created an effective tool on their own account. This is a stark contrast to many corporations. Many do as little as possible to meet the EPA requirements for pollution regulations.
Suzuki is the first marine brand to step up and fight the trend of microplastic pollution in our oceans. They’re also setting an example for other companies to follow their lead.
How You Can Help Suzuki Save Our Ocean
Go ahead and share this article by using one of the social media buttons on this page. This will give Suzuki some much-deserved applause.
It feels good to spread the word about corporate decisions that reduce microplastics. The marine industry, outdoor enthusiasts, and also the entire planet benefits.
Microplastics in our oceans is an awareness issue. It doesn’t concern the average person, even though it should.
Suzuki has embarked on uncharted waters. They’ve taken a stand against microplastic ocean pollution. They’ve also shown the world that they put our oceans and environment first.
The compassion Suzuki has shown to help our oceans has no precedent. By sharing this article, you’re spreading the word and supporting Suzuki. This shows other corporations that they too should level up to help save our precious oceans.
About the Author: Laura Gatlin is a Copywriter who’s a Native Californian. As a resident of Orange County, Laura’s favorite local beach is Salt Creek Beach in sunny Dana Point, CA.
