Officials are now planning to expand the technology to support broader waste removal projects.

According to Minister for Defence Industry and Minister for Science and Technology Melissa Price, three permanent units would be maintained at Sydney’s Garden Island.

“Over a two-week period, the Seabins captured 6,198 items of waste from Sydney Harbour, including 3,500 microfibres and microplastics, and 2,000 unidentifiable pieces of plastic waste,” Minister Price noted.

“This is Australian technology which costs as little as $1 a day to run and which can have huge dividends for the environment.”

Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said the one-year trial, supported by industry partners Veolia Environmental Services and BGIS, demonstrated the government’s commitment to addressing key environmental challenges.

“We can’t keep putting plastic in our oceans and it starts by getting our waste into the recycling bin where it belongs,” Minister Ley said.

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“We have made waste and recycling a national priority and it is one that requires us all to get involved. The Remade in Australia recycling campaign is an important reminder of the role consumers can play as we transform the nation’s recycling capacity and take responsibility for our waste.

“Industry is certainly stepping up at the same time and innovative technology like the Seabin is another important example.”

Member for Wentworth David Sharma said the project would have broader benefits for waterways across the Harbour’s east.

“Sydney Harbour is one of the world’s great waterways and this technology is an important sign of our commitment to keeping it that way,” Sharma added.

“Defence has always been a part of the Harbour landscape both through current sites like Garden Island and our former Defence Sites now managed through the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.”

[Related: Defence confirms M1A2 Abrams acquisition]