Rotary Club Winschoten, Netherlands, and Rotary Club Leer, Germany, have sold two ‘End Plastic Soup’ puzzles „Santa Run“ and „Summer Camp“ drawn in the (Netherlands) very popular Jan van Haasteren-stile.
Funds raised by selling the puzzles
Part of the profit was contributed to the development of a Bubble Barrier in the Old Rhine in Katwijk, Netherlands. The Bubble Barrier is a unique sustainable system: is fish-friendly, does not hinder ship traffic and covers the entire width and depth of the waterway. By creating a curtain of air bubbles, plastic is prevented from flowing downstream. Read more
The other part of the funds raised is going to be invested in 6 so called DPOL (DePOLlution) systems.
DPOL (DePOLlution) systems
A DPOL (DePOLlution) system is a floating pump collecting a kinds of waste (and plastics!). The system manufactured by Ekkopol (https://www.ekkopol.com/en/) is implemented in several ports around Europe.
Water features should receive the same attention as streets: regular, systematic cleaning. The floating pollution in harbors doesn’t have to be inevitable. To meet this challenge, Ekkopol has designed the DPOL ®. This floating pump is now manufactured by the company in the Var region of France.
The DPOL ® was written in consultation with port managers. It operates day and night, without an operator, with minimal maintenance and low acquisition costs. It collects all floating pollutants, including hydrocarbons.
Schedule and budget
First installation has been done in Juli 2024.
6 ports: 2×3 in both countries: Oldambt and Leer
Budget (available): € 45,000
Investment 6 DPOLs and information boards: € 42,000
Actions and education: € 3,000
Additional actions in 2024-2026
- Bicycle tour (date: the Worldwide EndPlasticSoup Action Day) using the route of the International Dollard Route
- End Plastic Soup school event (again together with Worldwide EPS Action Day)
- 6 information boards End Plastic Soup – Rotary in Action in the ports where a DPOL is operating
