Environmental activist in favour of deposit system: The Plastic Soup Surfer starts expedition to Nice
SURF Redaktion
· 29.04.2025
On 10 May 2025, the Plastic Soup Surfer will start the third stage of his impressive expedition: the Dutch environmental activist wants to campaign for the introduction of a deposit system in France on a 1,250-kilometre route from Paris to Nice. The journey by river and sea is part of a larger mission that began in Oslo in 2023 and should end in Rome in 2026. Tinga will then have covered a total of 5,000 kilometres. For his journey, he is using a specially made board made from collected plastic waste - this innovative equipment emphasises his message of plastic avoidance in an impressive way.
Campaign for deposit system
Tinga, who describes himself as a "surfing lobbyist" with nature as his client, is planning meetings with mayors during his four-week trip along French waterways to convince them of the need for a deposit system. In the Netherlands, his petition, political lobbying and campaigning played an important role in the introduction of such a system. The activist now hopes to achieve similar success in France.
Local community involvement
An important goal of the expedition is to mobilise local waste collection groups and active citizens along the route. Tinga wants to equip them with practical tools and experience from the Netherlands to work effectively with local politicians and the media in the fight against plastic pollution. By using new AI-supported analysis tools, citizen science should become easier than ever: "As soon as you start measuring, the solution becomes visible. Data is power," explains the environmental activist.
High-level meetings and UN conference
The expedition begins in Paris, where Mayor Anne Hidalgo will bid farewell to the Plastic Soup Surfer. Meetings with several mayors are planned along the route, including the heads of the cities of Dijon, Lyon, Marseille and Nice. The crowning glory will be the arrival in Nice on World Oceans Day, where Tinga will take part in the UN Ocean Conference. Here, he hopes to convince high-ranking participants from politics and business to swiftly introduce deposit return systems in France.
Innovative equipment and camping in the wilderness
For his journey, Tinga uses a specially made board that is partly made from recycled plastic waste. This innovative equipment emphasises his message about avoiding plastic. During the expedition, the environmental activist plans to travel self-sufficiently, as on the previous sections, and again often spend the night under his sail on the coast, on the beach or on the riverbank. This close proximity to nature reinforces the authenticity of his mission.
Far-reaching goals of the campaign
The goals of Tinga's expedition go beyond simply calling for a deposit system. He wants to strengthen local communities in the fight against plastic pollution and build a network of committed citizens. By sharing experiences, advocacy strategies and direct action, he hopes to strengthen the movement for a cleaner, plastic-free environment and translate local efforts into a powerful force for change.
