Key Points

• An employee-led idea the help remove waste from the Port of Long Beach in Southern California is delivering visible results.

• Operating around the clock, the trash skimmers have removed thousands of pounds of waste and debris from the harbor in two years.

• By helping clean the water, the trash skimmers are benefiting wildlife and the broader port community at one of the nation's busiest seaports.

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What began as an idea from employees at Marathon Pipe Line's (MPL) Long Beach Terminal 2 facility to help reduce trash and litter in the harbor has become a proven success story. Two years after the local team installed two electric trash skimmers at the Port of Long Beach, the program continues to deliver measurable results for one of the nation's busiest seaports and the surrounding waterways.

Since launching in May 2024, the skimmers have removed nearly 14,000 pounds of trash from the water, roughly the weight of an adult African elephant. The devices have also filtered nearly 50 million gallons of water, equivalent to more than 75 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

“It's incredible to see what this program has accomplished in just two short years,” said Tim Hayes, MPL's Operations Director for the Pacific West Region, whose local team manages the effort. “What started as a simple idea has grown into something that's making a visible difference in the harbor every day, and we're all very proud of that at Marathon.”

“Together, we are building the Port of the Future – a clean, efficient, zero-emissions port that proves to the world we can create jobs, serve the community and operate sustainably.”

The skimmers operate around the clock, collecting floating debris before it can spread throughout the harbor or pose a threat to marine wildlife. By removing trash from the water, the program helps create a cleaner environment for birds, fish and other species that depend on the harbor. While the skimmers are located at Marathon's Terminal 2 facility, they help remove debris from a shared waterway that supports numerous businesses, vessels and communities throughout the region.

 

The program has also strengthened Marathon's collaboration with the Port of Long Beach, which supports the effort by helping facilitate debris disposal.

“We thank Marathon for partnering with us to reduce operational impacts on more than 1,000 species of marine life thriving in the San Pedro Bay,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba. “Together, we are building the Port of the Future – a clean, efficient, zero-emissions port that proves to the world we can create jobs, serve the community and operate sustainably.”