The Baltimore Ravens, The Stephen and Renee Bisciotti Foundation and Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore announced Tuesday a five-year, $3.75 million partnership to support Baltimore's Healthy Harbor Initiative. The grant funding will aid capital improvements for the Mr. Trash Wheel Family, trash wheel operations and maintenance and oyster planting efforts in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Through this partnership, Mr. Trash Wheel will be branded in Ravens apparel as he works to clear debris and trash from the Inner Harbor.
Mr. Trash Wheel was originally installed in 2014, and three additional trash wheels have been added in Baltimore over the last decade. The Mr. Trash Wheel Family collects approximately 500 tons of foreign waste from the Baltimore Harbor each year.
"We're honored to support the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore and its important Healthy Harbor Initiative alongside the Bisciotti family," Ravens president Sashi Brown stated. "The Partnership's efforts are vital to sustaining and improving the ecosystems that are unique to our city, state and region. Together, we are committed to making our community waterways cleaner and safer than ever before."
Over the next five years, this collaboration between the Waterfront Partnership and the Baltimore Ravens will work to achieve the following:
- Remove 5 million pounds of litter and debris from the Baltimore Harbor
- Grow 5 million oysters to help clean and restore the Baltimore Harbor and Chesapeake Bay
- Improve water quality and increase the diversity and abundance of wildlife in Baltimore's waterways
- Engage volunteers and Ravens fans in community-driven conservation efforts
"We are incredibly grateful to The Bisciotti Foundation and the Ravens for investing in Baltimore's waterfront and joining us in the fight for cleaner, healthier waterways," Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore president Laurie Schwartz stated. "This partnership is about more than just removing trash – it's about restoring the harbor, creating a thriving ecosystem and making a lasting impact on our city. With the Ravens by our side, we're tackling one of Baltimore's biggest environmental challenges and proving that teamwork can make a real difference."
Originally invented by environmentalist and shipwright John Kellett, Mr. Trash Wheel is part of Waterfront Partnership's efforts to make the Baltimore Harbor swimmable and fishable.
Mr. Trash Wheel uses renewable energy (solar and hydro) to collect litter and debris flowing down the Jones Falls stream, preventing it from entering the ocean and harming wildlife. The stream's current powers rakes and a conveyor to lift the trash and debris out of the water, depositing it into a dumpster barge. When water current is low, a solar panel array provides additional power. Once the dumpster is full, it is towed away by boat, and a new dumpster is put in place.
To date, the Mr. Trash Wheel Family has removed nearly 2,500 tons of trash, including unique items such as a python snake (alive and well), beer kegs, a guitar and a mattress.
To learn more, please visit Mr. Trash Wheel on Instagram and Facebook, as well as the Waterfront Partnership's Healthy Harbor Initiative on Instagram and Facebook.
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About Waterfront Partnership & Healthy Harbor Initiative
The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, in collaboration with government, business, and community partners, works to create a clean, green, safe, sustainable, and thriving urban waterfront. The organization is dedicated to improving Baltimore's waterfront through programming, beautification, and long-term sustainability initiatives. For more information, visit waterfrontpartnership.org.
The Healthy Harbor Initiative, a program of Waterfront Partnership, provides a roadmap for cleaning up Baltimore's Harbor and the surrounding waterways. Through trash collection, community engagement, and ecological restoration, Healthy Harbor strives to make Baltimore's waterways swimmable and fishable. For more information, visit healthyharbor.org.
