Dive Brief:

• The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore has announced its plans to install Professor Trash Wheel at a kickoff community event in Canton, MD on Dec. 4.
• The water wheel, which already has her own Twitter handle, was funded from donors in at least 36 states and eight countries, according to The Baltimore Sun. She will be the "sister wheel" to Mr. Trash Wheel who was installed in 2014 and has collected over one million pounds of trash. 
• Professor Trash Wheel has a "degree in trash studies with a focus on the Chesapeake Bay, and her dream is to educate Baltimore kids about what they can do to help clean up the Baltimore Harbor," according to a press release.

Dive Insight:

Mr. Trash Wheel became an instant sensation following a popular "Ask Me Anything" thread on Reddit, and his online Twitter following has since grown to more than 8,400 fans. While it is not usual for waste-related "personalities" to be considered online stars, Mr. Trash Wheel's social media presence has helped educate thousands of consumers about the consequences of marine pollution — all while providing unique entertainment.

Mr. Trash Wheel's success in Baltimore has been measured not only by his popularity but also by the volumes of trash he has already collected. In October, the Waterfront Partnership announced the wheel's one millionth pound of trash collected, marking a major milestone for the Partnership. The wheel has done this using solar energy and river current, proving that waste collection can be done in a manner that is innovative and sustainable.

It is intended that Professor Trash Wheel will have the same effect on both consumers and the environment as her predecessor, and her position as a "woman in waste" will hopefully have an influence on young girls to become interested in waste-related fields.