4,800 kilometers of windsurfing and paddleboarding from Oslo to Rome via London, Paris, and Nice — to meet policymakers about the solution to plastic pollution: deposit return systems. And along the way, empowering the litter-picking community with AI-driven research.
From plastic soup to policy – deposit return as the solution.
From Plastic Soup to Policy – Deposit Return as the Solution
Ten years ago, I found plastic bottles from the Netherlands (and the UK) washed up on the coasts of Norway and Sweden.
That discovery sparked a petition for a deposit return system. I gathered 55,000 signatures and had a motion adopted by the Dutch Parliament in 2017 — the direct catalyst for introducing a deposit system in the Netherlands.
Now that deposit return has been implemented here, I’m turning my board toward the rest of Europe. With my surf expeditions, I bring the lobbying lessons we’ve learned across the sea: deposit systems work. In the Netherlands, their introduction on small plastic bottles (2021) and cans (2023) led to an 80% reduction in litter — a success I want to share with countries that have yet to implement this solution.
Stage 4: From Nice to Rome
In May 2026, I will continue my expedition, windsurfing 1,000 kilometers along the Mediterranean coast and paddling up the Tiber to Rome. Once again, the goal: to make the power of deposit return visible, collect local litter data, and share my lobbying experience with Italian campaigns and policymakers.
Because change starts with action.
And deposit return works.
In May 2025, I returned to the Seine, this time paddling accros France toward the UN Ocean Conference in Nice. A new element of this stage: a call for litter-pickers to start local research using AI photo analysis — an easy, impactful way to generate data.
In Nice, with me by her side, Mayor Hidalgo publicly voiced her support for a deposit return system — a crucial step forward for France.
Goal: From words to support in the region and on the international stage
In the summer of 2024, I continued. I windsurfed acrossthe channel solo. Paddled upstream on the Seine toward Paris. Two weeks before the Olympic Games, I was welcomed by Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Together, we organized a conference with key French stakeholders.
Goal: Putting deposit return on the French agenda
The journey began in 2023 in Oslo. On a custom-built windsurf board made from recycled and organic materials — and littered bottles collected from rivers — I sailed to London. There, in a wetsuit, I handed over a jointly written letter to the UK environment minister in Westminster, supported by leading British NGOs.
Goal: Raising awareness for a deposit return system in the UK
