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The Inner Harbor Water Wheel, also known as “Mr. Trash Wheel,” filters out tons of trash from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Powered by solar panels, it collects and disposes of floating debris. In its first 18 months, it removed 350 tons of trash, including plastic bottles, Styrofoam containers, and cigarette butts. The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore hopes to add a second wheel in Canton if it can raise the necessary funds.
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor was filled with all kinds of trash. But in the spring of 2014, the city did something about it. Incredibly simple in its design, a cleaning device known as the Inner Harbor Water Wheel now filters out tons of grime every year. Nicknamed “Mr. Trash Wheel” by Baltimore residents, the barge-like installation scoops anything that floats into the harbor from Jones Falls. Led by the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, the wheel removed more than 350 tons of trash in its first 18 months of operation. A continuously spinning wheel, powered by a self-contained system of solar panels, collects the unsightly flotsam and deposits it in a large bin, which can be towed away for easy disposal.
Cleaning Up Baltimore’s Inner Harbor:
During Mr. Trash Wheel’s first 18 months on the job, 189,000 plastic bottles, 243,000 Styrofoam containers and as many as 6.6 million cigarette butts were removed from the water, officials said.
The Jones Falls watershed drains 58 square miles (150 square km) of land outside of Baltimore and is a major source of trash entering the port.
The Waterfront Partnership hopes to add a second Mr. Trash Wheel in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood if it can raise the $550,000 USD needed for the project.
