On Saturday, June 2, the campaign End Plastic Soup Now started with more than 200 Rotarians and more than 100 children from the Weekendacademie, Plastic Plastic was trained in the Amsterdam canals. The occasion was the Leonardo da Vinci prize that was presented to Boyan Slat of The Ocean Cleanup in the morning.
It was then a fuss of interest to the Rijksmuseum where more than 20 boats were ready to fish plastic. Together with the children of the Weekend Academy, who had had plastic and plastic fishing lessons from the captains the week before, we went hunting for plastic.
Wendela Sandberg from End Plastic Soup Now:
‘With the start in Amsterdam, we want to start the awareness process and challenge Rotary clubs to think about how they can contribute to solving this immense problem. In June 2019 the annual international Rotary Convention takes place in Hamburg, where we want the plastic problem high on the agenda, we hope that 1.2 million Rotarians all over the world will endeavor to end the ‘plastic soup’. ‘
Governor Hetty Deinum of Rotary District Noord-Holland:
‘What an event, this is Rotary in optima forma: a local initiative is shared within the Rotary network, creating a movement by connecting with the 1.2 million members of Rotary worldwide. Earlier, the Rotary campaign ‘End Polio Now’ helped polio as well as the world. With End Plastic Soup Now we have similar ambitions. ‘
For more information or ideas: endplasticsoup@gmail.com
