Rijn-Maas PLASTIVAL
“I didn’t know there was so much plastic waste”
“Plastic pollution is a growing problem in the Rhine-Maas delta, but the exact extent and origin are difficult to determine”, says Tijmen den Oudendammer, Community Director at the Centre of Expertise HRTech of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences and project leader of the PLASTIVAL. “By analysing plastic waste and linking it to specific user groups and locations, we can not only raise awareness but also come up with targeted solutions. On that basis, we aim to develop an action plan for a plastic-free delta.”
A melting pot of ideas and solutions
During the PLASTIVAL, waste from 16 locations in the Rhine-Maas delta was displayed, and half of these locations were analysed by students, professionals, volunteers, and researchers. This provided an impressive picture of the scale and diversity of the problem and the necessity to work together on it. One of the biggest successes of the event was the active involvement and great diversity of the participants. The basis of the research conducted, guided by Wageningen University & Research (WUR), is to come up with solutions together with all stakeholders. For example, local solutions were proposed for setting up neighbourhood teams for plastic collection. But larger scale solutions were also suggested, such as collaborations between companies and governments for sustainable production chains.
Stronger together
What makes the PLASTIVAL special is the connecting atmosphere. People from diverse backgrounds found each other around a shared goal: minimizing the impact of plastic on our environment. Based on both the research of waste from the Rhine-Maas delta and the accompanying workshops, as well as during an organized expert meeting, it became clear that regional cooperation is essential to achieve a plastic-free delta. These insights formed the basis for the ‘Call to Action’ that was created on the last day through a puzzle by regional leaders from Rijkswaterstaat, Municipality of Rotterdam, Port of Rotterdam, and Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Everyone holds a piece of the puzzle to achieving a plastic-free delta.
The call to action is more than a symbolic gesture. It forms a concrete promise to continue developing and supporting sustainable initiatives within the Rhine-Maas region. This not only marks the end of a successful event but also the beginning of a new phase in the fight against plastic pollution within the Community of Practice Plastic and beyond by working towards a joint action plan.
About the Rijn-Maas PLASTIVAL
The Rijn-Maas PLASTIVAL is an initiative of the Community of Practice Plastic and was organized by Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, Municipality of Rotterdam, Port of Rotterdam, Rijkswaterstaat West-Netherlands South, and Wageningen University & Research. Through this event, these organizations showed how research, education, and collaboration play a key role in creating a plastic-free delta.
Building a cleaner future together
The Rijn-Maas PLASTIVAL has demonstrated how powerful collective action can be. With hundreds of participants, dozens of speakers, and countless inspiring ideas, we look back on three days full of impact. The collaboration that has emerged here extends beyond the event itself.
Source: CoE HRtech
