TAIPEI, Taiwan, July 17, 2025 – Rhinoshield has introduced CircularBlue, a marine debris cleanup system developed to address ocean pollution in coastal areas. The project is part of the company’s sustainability efforts, focused on applying engineering and design to reduce plastic waste and support circular manufacturing. CircularBlue combines environmental data, low-energy systems, and material recovery to create a closed-loop approach that aligns with long-term resource and waste management goals.
Each year, more than 12.7 million tons of plastic enters water bodies, threatening marine life, coral reefs, and the global food chain. About 80% of floating waste washes ashore within a month, often in areas regular cleanups are neglected. CircularBlue is a scalable, low-energy system intended to remove debris from these coastal zones.
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 (about 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 design allows for continuous operation in coastal zones and includes onboard labs for water-quality testing, ecological research and environmental education.
Technology Meets Circular Thinking: Plastics collected through CircularBlue will be reused in RHINOSHIELD’s manufacturing process, turning waste into recyclable consumer products.
Built to Scale: From Experimental Project to Global Solution: The ChangeMaker Wave Breaker prototype was developed over 18 months with an initial hardware investment of more than $2 million. This project marks RHINOSHIELD’s shift from accessory manufacturing to materials technology and marine waste management.
The system uses fluid dynamics, solar energy, and automated collection to remove marine waste. It demonstrates the integration of industrial design and sustainability and supports RHINOSHIELD’s goal to process collected waste as part of a circular economy.
Sustainability at RHINOSHIELD’s core: CircularBlue extends RHINOSHIELD’s commitment to reducing environmental impact, including:
- CircularNext: Taiwan’s first 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
RHINOSHIELD applies engineering solutions to create products and marine solutions that are both durable 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.”
Source: Rhinoshield
About RHINOSHIELD
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Taichung, Taiwan, Rhinoshield designs and manufactures protective accessories for smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. Its product line includes drop-resistant phone cases, screen protectors, MagSafe-compatible grips and watch bumpers, all developed using its proprietary ShockSpread polymer. The company focuses on impact protection, durability and modular customization while incorporating sustainability practices such as recyclable materials and product take-back initiatives. Rhinoshield serves global consumer electronics markets through both direct-to-consumer channels and retail partnerships. Its estimated annual revenue is $26M, and it employs approximately 100 people. The brand’s offerings – such as the SolidSuit case and 9H tempered glass protectors – are designed to meet environmental and performance standards, with an emphasis on circular design and reduced plastic waste. Rhinoshield’s approach combines material science, product innovation and user-focused features to support both protection and environmental responsibility in the mobile accessories industry.