CLEAR RIVERS

Iris joined CLEAR RIVERS (formerly called Recycled Island Foundation) in 2019, a non-profit founded five years ago, to tackle plastic pollution in oceans at the source. Plastic disposed of in rivers forms 80% of all that which is found in the ocean (1).

The foundation implements “litter traps” which are passive floating devices that use no energy other than the tide, wind and current to collect plastic from rivers. It has an international scope, but the initial implementation was a 140m2 floating park in Rotterdam which provides a habitat for biodiversity. 

This trap, along with another in Brussels, and regularly organised clean ups, has collected over 30,000kg of plastic (a conservative estimate) of which approximately 50% can be recycled. 

All traps are installed along an education and awareness programme including workshops in schools, companies and universities. In 2019, CLEAR RIVERS reached an estimated 300 students through this initiative.

The organisation is also branching out to South-East Asia, Africa and Central America to target the world’s most polluted rivers together with the Audi Environmental Foundation, improving local recycling with more newly developed recycled products from the retrieved plastics such as furniture, Litter Traps and building materials.

Iris is personally responsible for establishing international partnerships, PR and online media efforts, and works with her team on education and awareness programmes. 

As part of the Shell Scholarship for the London Summit, Iris is delighted to access a great network of potential partners and fellow Ambassadors working in her field around the world.

Sources:

(1) https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/how-does-plastic-end-ocean