We all know the ocean is full of pollutants, contaminants and stuff that’s basically not very good for the planet.
Just this year, many bays around the UK coast have been flagged up for seriously high levels of sewage and pollution.
We recycle, we join in with beach cleans, but what if there was a better way to make a difference – with no effort required?
Introducing the Sponge Suit, a bikini that cleans the ocean as you swim.
The bikini, designed by electrical engineering professor Mihri Ozkan, absorbs pollutants from the ocean as you swim around in the sea.
Made of a sponge insert and sugar base, its frame is 3D printed from flexible plastic called elastomer.
Super cheap to produce and harmless to skin, the material absorbs everything except water, and can take in up to 25 times its own weight. Pretty cool, huh?
Every time you swim, you can remove 25 bikinis worth of pollutants from the ocean.
Of course, one bikini isn’t going to be enough.
You don’t need to do the maths to figure out that it would take a lot of bikini-clad eco warriors floating around in the sea for a very long time to sort out marine pollution.
The success of the material however, is still a major find that can now be applied into different (bigger) mediums, as a serious way to clean the ocean.
“This design can be developed in to different outfits: bathing suits, mayokini, swimming caps,” says the design team.
“We aim for a future where everyone, with any shape and form of swimming outfit, can contribute to the cleanliness of the seas by a sports activity or simply a leisurely summer vacation.”