STICHTING DE NOORDZEE – MEET MEE VOOR EEN GEZONDE NOORDZEE
© 2024 Stichting De Noordzee
Plastic waste pollutes our beaches and the North Sea in excessive quantities. This waste poses a risk to animals (they may mistake it for food) and the ecosystem (waste as a source of microplastics). The available waste data is too fragmented or focuses on specific categories, such as non-recreational beaches. In the “Meet Mee voor een gezond Noordzee” project, citizen scientists are now working along the entire coast to improve waste management for the North Sea.
Citizen scientists are being trained in scientific research methods and collect beach waste data annually in March and October. The results are presented in a public, interactive dashboard. Coastal municipalities, beach pavilions, and beachgoers will be able to see a top 10 of waste items per beach, coastal municipality, or region, as well as measures that actually reduce waste, such as a smoke-free beach. Thanks in part to support from Fonds 1999, Stichting De Noordzee was able to organize the first rounds of measurements and take steps toward the first national beach waste dashboard, making waste data more usable for effective policies for clean and healthy beaches!
Plastic waste pollutes our beaches and the North Sea in excessive quantities. This waste poses a risk to animals (they may mistake it for food) and the ecosystem (waste as a source of microplastics). The available waste data is too fragmented or focuses on specific categories, such as non-recreational beaches. In the “Meet Mee voor een gezond Noordzee” project, citizen scientists are now working along the entire coast to improve waste management for the North Sea.
Citizen scientists are being trained in scientific research methods and collect beach waste data annually in March and October. The results are presented in a public, interactive dashboard. Coastal municipalities, beach pavilions, and beachgoers will be able to see a top 10 of waste items per beach, coastal municipality, or region, as well as measures that actually reduce waste, such as a smoke-free beach. Thanks in part to support from Fonds 1999, Stichting De Noordzee was able to organize the first rounds of measurements and take steps toward the first national beach waste dashboard, making waste data more usable for effective policies for clean and healthy beaches!