Milwaukee Riverkeeper robot helps clean beaches along lakefront

Robot helps clean lakefront beaches

Milwaukee Riverkeeper is rolling out a BeBot, which they call "Taylor Sift," to help clean lakefront beaches. 

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee Riverkeeper has a new tool to help keep lakefront beaches clean this year, and with the summer beach season fast approaching, the organization rolled it out for the first time on Friday.

What they're saying:

The organization unveiled a BeBot, which they call "Taylor Sift." It's like a remote-controlled, robotic car that sifts through small pieces of plastic found along the lakefront, rakes seaweed and levels the shoreline.

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

"When we pick up stuff at (the river) cleanup, it’s bigger pieces," said Katie Rademacher, Milwaukee Riverkeeper research and restoration manager. "When it's sloshing around in the lake forever, it’s breaking down into smaller fragments, and we’re collecting those here."

Milwaukee Riverkeeper partnered with the Council for the Great Lakes Region, which supplies seven BeBots to places across the region – including two in Wisconsin.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper rolls out beach-cleaning Bebot robot, "Taylor Sift"

BeBots are completely electric and can run up to three hours on a single charge, Milwaukee Riverkeeper said. The robots are a huge help in picking up plastic, which the team said is the bulk of what they pull out of rivers.

"So much of the plastic that exists is beyond the control of the consumer," said Leah Holloway, Milwaukee Riverkeeper education and sustainability manager. "Consumers have a role to play, for sure, but we need governments and agencies and communities to step up on a larger level to really start to reduce some of the unnecessary plastics."

What's next:

Taylor Sift and volunteers were out at Whitefish Bay's Klode Park on Friday morning for cleanup efforts. Milwaukee Riverkeeper plans to visit area beaches each week.

Related

article

Milwaukee Riverkeeper cleanup, Guinness World Record set Saturday

Milwaukee Riverkeeper's 31st annual spring cleanup brought Earth Week to a close, and set a Guinness world record in the process on April 25.