Plastic Soup Surfer

In the Netherlands alone, 5 million disposable cups are used every morning. These 5 million cups are only used once before ending up in the incinerator, or worse, in our environment.

Put those 5 million disposable cups in a row and you have a line 385 km long.

In July 2022, I covered that exact distance, surfing from Brussels to Amsterdam, on a surfboard made of used disposable cups. While navigating inland waters I used a Fliteboard e-foil, and on open water, I utilized a wing made of old kitesurf kites.

The goal of my "Mission Reuse Expedition" was to fight for the adoption of reusable cups and the elimination of disposable cups. Disposable cups represent the disposable society we live in, showcasing the rampant waste and pollution it leads to. We have to and can get rid of it. To start with let's target the disposable cups. Reusable should be the new norm. 

In 2017, the Plastic Soup Surfer forces a political breakthrough with a resolution he drafted himself. Bottle deposits lead to a major decline in littering. The record attempt kitesurf crossing of the North Sea – 180km from The Netherlands to England, on a board made from plastic bottles – is the kickstart to a petition for bottle deposits, and is signed by 60 thousand people.

With the Dutch community of plastic activists and NGOs he organized a national conference on the future of plastics (2019). The resulting ‘Plastic Avengers Manifest’ states 5 principles to a ‘sustainable use of plastics’.

VP Frans Timmermans became the ambassador.

The Plastic Soup Surfer believes storytelling is a powerful way to get the message across. Read the book, see our documentaries on the expeditions or listen to our podcast. All dedicated to change, sustainablity and how you can make a difference.