YOUNGSTERS taking part in a government funded youth course at UKSA are hoping to raise funds to buy a revolutionary 'seabin' to help combat the scourge of plastic waste in the seas around the Island.

The young people who are on a National Citizen Course (NCS) at the Cowes based youth organisation, hope to get enough cash to allow UKSA to buy a seabin which would be located in Cowes Harbour in future.

They also hope that the 'seabins' could be dotted around the IW in years to come - helping to maintain a high quality of water around the Island's coastline and boosting tourism in the future.

Seabins are attached to a 'floating dock' and are submerged below the water surface. They automatically collect waste including microplastics as small as 2mm in size.

Every year, a seabin has the capability to collect 90,000 plastic bags, 35,700 disposable cups, 16,500 plastic bottles and 166,500 plastic utensils.

Each seabin costs £2,940 to buy and £1 a day to maintain. They must also be checked daily and cleaned monthly.

The team has already taken part in a beach clean of Cowes Esplanade and hopes to take part in a clean up of Ryde's lake in order to raise awareness of the pollution in waters around the IW and how cleaning the water can impact the environment, the economy and society.

The group said: "Of course, the benefits would not be limited to environmental progress. Tourism is one of the most fundamental industries that make up the backbone of the IW economy.

"Visit IW said the annual visitor numbers now stand at 2.36 million. These tourists are attracted to the beautiful beaches encasing the Island, beaches that we simply can't allow to deteriorate into a state of debris-filled disruption.

"The numerous jobs dependant on tourism therefore rely on the health of the coastline. It is an undeniable priority for the Island as a whole."