Empowering Youth to Tackle Plastic Pollution: NIVA’s Citizen Science Contribution to Plastic Pirates – Go Europe!

NIVA participated in a citizens’ science activity at the Flemish coast on 8/6/2022, as part of the Plastic Pirates – Go Europe! Initiative which aims to engage and empower young people across Europe to monitor and tackle plastic pollution in rivers, coasts and sea. Researchers in the area of Ocean and Waters were brought together with a 3^rd year secondary science education class of local pupils in Nieuwport, to carry out a plastic sampling activity in a nature reserve. The NIR scanning of plastic items and fragments gave information on the polymer type and potential sources, which were further discussed in the class where NIVA presented the Nautilos project. The whole day was attended by the European Commission policy officers from the Directorate-General for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (DG EAC), fo

r Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE), and for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) – as well as the Research Executive Agency (REA).