Yamaha Rightwaters™ joined forces with the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University – Florida State University^® College of Engineering (FAMU^®-FSU^® College of Engineering) to study and prove a land-based trash interceptor concept. The device will assist in cleaning debris out of waterways before trash can reach the ocean.

The Yamaha Rightwaters team designed and built a scale model of an interceptor concept in 2020, with plans to deploy the finished product in Brunswick, Ga. This fall, Will Hill, Strategic Initiatives Manager at the Resilient Infrastructure & Disaster Response (RIDER) Center at the college and Florida State University, will work in conjunction with faculty members Tarek Abichou and Sean Martin to spearhead a project constructing and proving the trash interceptor concept. If successful, the final product will be an economical, scalable and easily deployable device.

“The community of Brunswick, Ga., like many others nationwide, must consistently innovate to stay ahead of rising levels of pollution and waste,” said Hill. “Pollution and waste accumulating in inland waterways and marshes are threats that destabilize ecosystems and the local economies that depend on them. We are honored to have the opportunity to work with Yamaha Rightwaters in developing practical, effective solutions to one of the biggest challenges facing our waterways. We look forward to seeing the impact this device will have on plastic problems facing Georgia’s coast.”

Yamaha Rightwaters aims to deploy the interceptor device in December or early in Q1, 2022. From there, Yamaha Rightwaters seeks to expand the project to more waterways around the country.

“The trash interceptor pilot program is just the beginning of what we hope will become a much larger initiative,” said John O’Keefe, Senior Specialist, Government Relations, Yamaha U.S. Marine Business Unit. “Working with the college, Yamaha Rightwaters hopes to engage a ‘student science’ approach to the trash interceptor while tapping into the enthusiasm this generation of students has displayed towards conservation and environmental issues.”

As part of those efforts, a group of undergraduate seniors at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering will also develop a land-based trash interceptor device from their own designs and concepts for their engineering capstone project. The device they design must also be economical, scalable and easily deployable.

“The device our students are working on has a much broader scope, which brings its own challenges and opportunities,” said Shayne McConomy, faculty member and Capstone Design Coordinator, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. “We’re asking them to design a trash interceptor that Yamaha Rightwaters can, in theory, deploy in waterways across the country. It takes a concentrated team effort to achieve sustainable solutions, and this is a cause our students are excited to work on.”

In 2020, Yamaha Rightwaters and Skeeter^® Boats provided FSU’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory a Yamaha/Skeeter boat package to assist FSU’s Apalachicola Bay System Initiative (ABSI), which seeks to develop a management and restoration plan for the oyster reefs and overall health of the bay.

“Yamaha Rightwaters and Florida State University share a common goal of cleaner, healthier waterways,” continued O’Keefe. “Working together, we can help provide our children and grandchildren the same boating and fishing experiences we enjoy today.”

Yamaha Rightwaters™ is a national sustainability program that encompasses all of Yamaha Marine’s conservation and water quality efforts. Program initiatives include habitat restoration, support for scientific research, mitigation of invasive species, the reduction of marine debris and environmental stewardship education. Yamaha Rightwaters reinforces Yamaha’s long-standing history of natural resource conservation, support of sustainable recreational fishing and water resources and Angler Code of Ethics, which requires pro anglers to adhere to principles of stewardship for all marine resources.

Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine U.S. Business Unit, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,400 U.S. dealers and boat builders with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha’s full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard brand to have earned NMMA^®’s C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception.

REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear.

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This document contains many of Yamaha's valuable trademarks. It may also contain trademarks belonging to other companies. Any references to other companies or their products are for identification purposes only and are not intended to be an endorsement. FAMU is a registered trademark of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. FSU and Florida State University are registered trademarks of Florida State University.

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