What’s the deal with the Plastic Soup again?
March 15 2024 That’s what readers of news site nu.nl on their comment platform Nujij were wondering. In a recent […]
6 March 2020
The Plastic Soup Foundation, which for some time now has been investigating pollution with plastic granules – the so-called ‘nurdles’ – and which has recently submitted an enforcement request to the Rotterdam environmental service DCMR, was informed by group of students about an enormous amount of microplastics in the Centaurus pond in Tilburg.
The student team ‘Plastic Catcher’, consisting of Koen Reerink, Isabella Anglin, Hanne van Gompel and Luc Mosmuller, made this remarkable discovery on 6 February 2020 during field research as part of their study at TU Eindhoven. Harmen Spek of Plastic Soup Foundation had commissioned them to conduct research into the leakage of plastic to the environment from sewer overflows, and to come up with solutions.
A sample of the material from the pond shows that it is mainly so-called ‘grinding material’ (shredded plastic waste). In addition, ‘virgin nurdles’ (plastic granules directly from the factory) and recycled nurdles were found. Larger pieces of plastic were also found that can be traced back to the so-called plastic conversion industry: companies that make all kinds of plastic products from the basic grains. The material remaining after production usually goes back to the recycling industry for processing.
When visiting the site, the Centaurus Pond looks quite normally. It is only when we take a close look at what appears to be organic floating material that we see that they are microplastics everywhere. Along the bank, where a sewer overflow flows into the pond, the concentration is really enormous; a colourful thick mass of small plastic particles mixed with some organic material has accumulated along this waterfront. Unfortunately, due to the heavy rainfall and the high water level of the last few weeks, the plastic can also be found in the overgrown sides of the pond and the grass next to it.
The Centaurus pond serves as a so-called ‘retention pond’ to temporarily collect large quantities of rainwater. This rainwater is supplied via a sewage network from the industrial area Loven 3 and comes directly from the companies located there. Eventually, the excess water in the pond is pumped via a small pumping station to the Wilhelmina canal.
Because of its composition, the plastic leakage found can be clearly traced back to three or four plastic processing or recycling companies located on the Loven 3 industrial estate. The municipality is investigating which company can ultimately be held responsible for this.
Because plastic production will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years and more and more countries are saying no to the international trade in waste plastic, more and more plastic waste will have to be processed within our own borders.
That is why the recycling sector in the Netherlands sees great opportunities for growth. But the downside is that the amount of plastic waste that leaks into the environment will also increase. Everywhere where plastic is produced, processed, used and recycled again, leakage occurs. Both during transport and transshipment, but also simply due to carelessness and negligence on the part of employees.
The Plastic Soup Foundation is shocked by the findings in the Centaurus Pond. We were already very worried about the leakage of plastic by the plastic producing industry, but now the plastic recycling industry is added. PSF is of the opinion that there must be strict rules to reduce this risk to zero!
The findings at the Centaurus pond were so worrying that the student team contacted Mariëlle van Dalen of the municipality of Tilburg. Van Dalen was already involved at an earlier stage in the overflow research of the students. After this report, the Tilburg municipality acted quickly by sending enforcers to investigate the drainage wells.
The pond was cleaned by a company on behalf of the municipality in week 8, but unfortunately the consequences of this microplastic leakage will never be lost again. It took a number of full trailers to remove the worst pollution, but the spots between the water plants and the grass will probably never be clean again. Once (micro)plastics end up in the environment they are very difficult to remove. The Centaurus pond in Tilburg is unfortunately an example of this…
March 15 2024 That’s what readers of news site nu.nl on their comment platform Nujij were wondering. In a recent […]
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