Since 2016, we have focused our efforts especially on rivers and waterways. Now, the Plastic Pirates have started conducting pilot samplings in countries such as Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria, Belgium and France to map the amount and types of plastic waste on coastlines and beaches. Beginning in autumn 2024, Germany will be the first country to systematically collecting these data on beaches of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

Large amounts of plastic transported in rivers and waterways pollute seas and oceans. Litter accumulates on coastlines and beaches in particular, disrupting local ecosystems and causing frustration for people who use and enjoy these areas. For the first time, the German Plastic Pirates will systematically measure and map the amount and types of plastic waste on coastlines. The new project will contribute to their ongoing research on the Elbe and Danube ecosystems. It aims to provide additional knowledge on plastic pollution in these freshwater and marine environments.

School classes and youth groups in German coastal regions are welcome to participate in autumn 2024 and spring 2025. The autumn sampling campaign will be from 15 September to 15 November. The specific action booklet as well as teaching and sampling material will be available for download or order. Participating school classes and youth groups will get to know about the marine ecosystem and the effects of plastic waste pollution. They get the chance to learn and practice scientific methods. The collected sampling data will be uploaded to an online platform and analysed by the Kiel Science Outreach Lab and the Ecologic Institute.