RHINOSHIELD Launches CircularBlue™: A Groundbreaking Marine Debris Cleanup Initiative
TAIPEI, June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RHINOSHIELD, the global leader in sustainable phone accessories, proudly announces the launch of CircularBlue™, a pioneering marine debris cleanup initiative designed to combat ocean pollution. As part of RHINOSHIELD's broader sustainability platform, this initiative reinforces the brand's commitment to creating a circular, waste-free future through innovation, design and environmental stewardship.
Each year, more than 12.7 million tons of plastic enters our waters, endangering marine life, coral reefs and the global food chain. Alarmingly, 80% of floating waste washes ashore within a month, often in coastal areas neglected by conventional cleanups. CircularBlue™ is RHINOSHIELD's bold response: a scalable, low-energy system designed to target these high-impact zones and drive long-term environmental change.
According to Eric Wang, RHINOSHIELD co-founder and CEO, "Plastic pollution is the heavy legacy left by decades of human neglect and abuse. Through CircularBlue™, we are facing this challenge head-on — from coasts to rivers — using bold innovation and scalable solutions to clean up the past and protect the ocean's future."
Anchored up to 3 kilometers (approximately 1.86 miles) offshore, the CircularBlue™ platform is a modular, autonomous, three-part system composed of:
- Solar-powered Floating Platforms that passively collect debris using water jet propulsion based on Bernoulli's principle
- AI-enabled Scout Drones that detect and signal the location of waste
- GPS-guided Surface Vessels that retrieve debris in active collection mode
The platform's autonomous, energy-efficient design allows for continuous operation in high-waste coastal zones and includes onboard labs for water-quality testing, ecological research and environmental education.
Technology Meets Circular Thinking: True to RHINOSHIELD's circular-design philosophy, the plastics collected through CircularBlue™ will be reintegrated into the company's manufacturing cycle — transforming waste into durable, recyclable consumer products and supporting broader circular-economy goals.
Built to Scale: From Experimental Project to Global Solution: The platform's prototype — named ChangeMaker Wave Breaker — was developed over 18 months, with an initial hardware investment exceeding $2 million. It reflects RHINOSHIELD's transformation from an accessory manufacturer to a materials-technology lab and, now, a pioneer in marine waste management solutions.
Using a blend of fluid dynamics, solar energy and automated collection, the system showcases how industrial design and sustainability can merge to tackle one of the planet's most pressing environmental challenges. It also aligns with RHINOSHIELD's ambition to transform cleaned marine waste into resources, contributing to a truly circular economy.
Sustainability at RHINOSHIELD's core: CircularBlue™ extends RHINOSHIELD's longstanding commitment to reducing environmental impact, including:
- CircularNext: Taiwan's first fully circular phone case, made from recycled SolidSuit phone-case materials
- RHINOLOOP: A closed-loop program enabling product reuse and recycling
- Sustainable packaging: Eliminating more than 56 tons of single-use plastic annually and replacing it with FSC-certified paper and vegetable-based inks
From product materials to large-scale marine interventions, RHINOSHIELD redefines sustainability by engineering solutions that are both physically resilient and environmentally responsible.
"Like our journey over the past 12 years, CircularBlue™ is built on creativity, resilience and a belief that sustainability can be both bold and collaborative," added Wang. "Together with partners around the world, we can restore the ocean we all cherish."
RHINOSHIELD invites environmental organizations and technology leaders to collaborate on expanding this platform globally — to restore ocean health, protect biodiversity and reshape the future of sustainable innovation. For more information on RHINOSHIELD and the brand's sustainability efforts, please visit www.rhinoshield.io.
About RHINOSHIELD
RHINOSHIELD is a device-accessories brand with evolution at its heart. Since its inception in 2012, the Taiwanese materials-technology company has evolved from startup status into a world-renowned impact-protection accessories brand, pushing ever forward by developing innovative solutions while adhering to a foundational pledge of sustainability. At RHINOSHIELD, we pride ourselves on "Protect Your World." With our focus on reducing environmental impact and plastic waste, what sets RHINOSHIELD apart from the competition is our commitment to mono-material. The 2017 Changemaker campaign marked Rhinoshield's announcement to begin using mono-materials — a commitment to sustainability that prioritizes recyclability without compromising protection, by engineering with the right materials to create meaningful impact. To learn more about our story and initiatives, please visit the official website at https://rhinoshield.io/.
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SOURCE Rhinoshield