Want to contribute to the solution for global plastic pollution, but not sure which actions you can take? Each category below contains a collection of helpful and trustworthy sources which will help you improve your waste management behaviours, and therefore help yourself and the planet!
Here are some tools that can help you to improve your waste management
behaviours, and identify microplastic in your products so you can start to avoid it.
My Little Plastic Footprint is a great app for calculating your plastic dependency and how you can reduce it, or eliminate it, to become plastic free. The app shows you everyday items that you use and ways in which you can either avoid using them, or use alternatives to curb your plastic reliance.
mylittleplasticfootprint.org
Do you have doubts about which is the correct bin for you to dispose of your waste? The Milieu Centraal has developed a waste separation guide to help you dispose of your waste correctly. No more guessing or struggling to decide where to throw away your coffee cup. Simply type your item into the link below to find out which waste stream it belongs to.
afvalscheidingswijzer.nlAs different materials should be disposed of in different bins, and these bins are not always together in the city, the Municipality of Amsterdam has developed a helpful map. The interactive map provides the location of the specific waste bins within your area so you can find the closest one easily! Click below to identify the different bins (plastic, paper, textile, glass, and general waste) so you can separate your waste correctly.
kaart.amsterdam.nl
The Plastic Soup Foundation have created a guide to help you recognize microplastic ingredients in cosmetic and personal care products. Here you can check if your cosmetic and personal care products contain microplastic, and if so, how much microplastic do they include?
beatthemicrobead.org/guide-to-microplastic
Do you prefer to act, rather then just read? You can start participating in
the solution right now! Below are some organizations and initiatives who offer
options for you to volunteer, donate, or connect with others.
Are you willing to participate in different events to help reduce plastic pollution? We invite you to learn more about the Plastic Soup Foundation, an Amsterdam based organization aiming to educate citizens and develop solutions for the plastic pollution problem. You can contribute by being a donor or by participating in different campaigns such as, ‘Amsterdam Clean Water’ which helps to reduce the amount of garbage in the city's canals.
plasticsoupfoundation.org/become-a-donor
Do you want to become a plastic expert? 'WASTED' is a local organisation who provide educational programs to help you increase your plastic knowledge and influence others to start acting too. Learn how to identify different types of plastic, how to avoid it's use, and how to recycle it properly.
wastedlab.nl/become-plastic-expertThe Green Office is a department of the University of Amsterdam that aims to connect and educate students and staff on sustainability. Together, they are working to divert the university along a more sustainable path to the future. Want to be involved? The Green Office is always looking for sustainability enthusiasts who wish to volunteer their time towards making the university a greener place. Follow the link below to get in contact.
uvagreenoffice.nl/
Similarly to The Green Office, Re-Set is a department within the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences that focuses on sustainability. By connecting students, teachers, researchers and staff that have an interest in sustainability, Re-Set develops and promotes projects dedicated to improving the sustainability of the HvA. You can volunteer, or promote your own sustainable project through the link below.
hvaduurzaam.nlAre you a current UvA or HvA student? Would you like to actively research solutions to improve the university's sustainability? Would you also like to contribute to making the UvA and HvA's waste management systems 100% circular by 2025? You can join a research project, focused on a specific problem regarding waste management, by contacting Joep de Hoog through the link below. Gain credit points, experience, and contirbute to the solution!
hva.nl/profiel/j.de-hoog
Do you know how much plastic you are consuming? Are you ready to know?
What about how your country compares to the rest of the world? Explore
the links below to find out.
Omni calculator is a great way to quantify your personal plastic footprint and get your total plastic usage in kilos per year. You can see your usage of food & kitchen needs, bathroom and laundry, disposable containers & packaging, and so on. Happy calculating!
omnicalculator.com/plastic-footprint
Did you know The Netherlands has one of the highest plastic consumption figures per capita? Who else rates highly on the global plastic consumption scale, and which oceans currently have the most plastic waste in them? Find out below.
ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution
Feeling demotivated about the plastic pollution problem? To combat this we want
to share some inspirational plastic initiatives and strategies. Reignite your hope,
your interest and your motivation to avoid plastic pollution by reading the links below.
The Plastic Europe Organization gathered some thought-provoking initiatives about plastic innovation. Check out these organizations from different industries, who are generating a positive impact within the Netherlands by working with plastic waste and bringing innovative products to the market.
plasticseurope.org
At the age of 18, Boyan Slat, a Dutch inventor, developed a solar-powered vessel with the aim of removing plastic from our oceans in a sustainable manner. He then founded the Ocean Cleanup company with the goal of abolishing 90% of ocean plastic pollution by 2040. In 2013, Slat also developed The Interceptor, a large ship that cleans the plastic out of rivers, thus preventing it from entering the ocean. Find out how these critical inventions work below.
theoceancleanup.com/oceansWasted is an organisation based in Amsterdam which encourages waste separation through community activation and incentives. You can receive digital coins that you can exchange for discounts and rewards for every bag you bring to a recycle bin of either plastic, paper or textile, using the Waste app. (The app is only available in Amsterdam Noord and De Pijp at the moment, however, the Wasted team is developing more tools for less localised audiences, so keep up to date with them!)
wastedlab.nl/#introduction
Did you know that European Commission aims to abolish plastic waste and transition to completely recyclable packaging across Europe by 2030? In the following link, you will find a report from the European Commission where you can find more information about Europe’s transition to a new plastic-free economy, characterized by the adoption of the circular economy principles, and how they plan to reach this goal.
ec.europa.eu/plastics-strategy-brochure