FLUBBISH (2023)
FLUBBISH is an interactive trash bin that roams under the sea and floats when it detects a certain amount of seafloor litter. The tube attached to FLUBBISH makes it both an indicator and a dumpster for local ocean trash divers.
The project was inspired by a local environmental movement in Jeju called “Bonguging,” an underwater plogging activity. An interview with divers revealed that the main inconveniences of Bonguging were first, that it is difficult to detect garbage area from above the sea, and second, that buoys are not suitable for stacking waste.
FLUBBISH aimed to resolve these issues. FLUBBISH lays on the seafloor, analyzing the surrounding objects. When a certain amount of litter is detected, FLUBBISH deploys its tube as an indicator for divers. As the tube reaches the sea surface, divers can use it as both a buoy and a trash bin for ocean litter. The goal of FLUBBISH was to lessen the burden of Bonguging for a cleaner ocean environment.