Related content for project ID 30020

Related content for project "Plastic Pirates – German coast" (project ID 30020)

News
 
We are delighted to announce that Dr Sinja Dittmann, lead author of a study investigating plastic pollution in German rivers, has won first prize in the "Wissen der Vielen – Forschungspreis für Citizen Science" (Knowledge of the Many – Citizen Science Research Award). The study draws on data collected through the Plastic Pirates citizen science initiative. The award is also a recognition of years of collaboration between researchers, educators and the public – and of the many people who have made the Plastic Pirates possible.
 

Plastic Pirates Research Wins First Prize in Citizen Science Research Award

Award-winning study sheds light on plastic pollution in German rivers

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Presentation:Interview
 
Plastic is now found virtually everywhere in the environment – including in our rivers. But how does it get there, even in a country like Germany with a comparatively well-functioning waste management and recycling system? And what needs to change to prevent plastic from entering rivers and, ultimately, the oceans? Doris Knoblauch, Director of the Resources Programme at Ecologic Institute, discussed these questions on the German radio programme WDR 5 Quarks – Wissenschaft und mehr.

How Can We Tackle the Plastic Pollution Problem?


Doris Knoblauch

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News
 
In 2026, the citizen science project “Plastic Pirates” celebrates its 10th anniversary. Since 2016, about 24,000 young people, together with teachers and youth group leaders, have collected valuable data on plastic pollution in German waters. To mark the anniversary, two new campaign periods will begin in autumn 2026 and spring 2027, inviting young people once again to take part in the citizen science initiative.
 

Plastic Pirates – 10th Anniversary

The Plastic Pirates are celebrating their 10th anniversary – new campaign periods for 2026/27

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Presentation:Speech
 
Presentation slide about the Plastic Pirates citizen science project, where young people investigate plastic pollution in rivers and other water bodies, shown at the Klett Symposium 2026.
At the “18th Klett Geography Symposium: Plastic Planet or Blue Planet – It's in Our Hands", Mandy Hinzmann presented the “Plastic Pirates – German Coast” project. Plastic Pirates is a citizen science project in which young people work in groups to investigate (plastic) waste pollution in waterways using a standardised scientific method.

Learning Through Research with the Plastic Pirates


Mandy Hinzmann

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Presentation:Panel discussion
 
Doris Knoblauch from Ecologic Institute presented recent work from the Plastic Pirates – German Coast citizen science project at the 2026 conference of the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) in Oulu (Finland). The conference brought together around 650 participants from across Europe and beyond to discuss the latest developments in citizen science research and practice.

Plastic Pirates at ECSA 2026

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Doris Knoblauch

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Presentation:Speech
 
During the first day of the PartWiss 2025 conference, Doris Knoblauch delivered a presentation on the Europe-wide citizen science project, 'Plastic Pirates – Go Europe', during the thematic session, 'Participatory Approaches to Shaping the Science-Policy Interface'. During her presentation, she explored the intersection of natural and social science methods within the project. Using studies of the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts as an example, she showed how school classes in Kiel, St. Peter-Ording, Rostock and Flensburg had collected data on plastic pollution, before discussing the causes, responsibilities and possible solutions in focus groups.

Reflection on Collected Waste Data from Coastal Areas in the Citizen Science Project "Plastic Pirates"


Doris Knoblauch

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Publication:Article
 
Anthropogenic litter poses a growing threat to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. While the EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) addresses this pollution as an environmental status indicator, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) lacks such a measure.The publication, jointly authored by researchers from the European Plastic Pirates initiative, illustrates how citizen science can address this issue by using existing litter data from related initiatives. Members of the author team included Doris Knoblauch and Mandy Hinzmann from the Ecologic Institute.

Public Participation in EU Legislation?

Recommendations for Involving Citizen Scientists in Anthropogenic Litter Research Within the Water Framework Directive

Year

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News
 
On 4 June 2025, children from Berlin's Schinkel Elementary School embarked on a new mission as part of the Citizen-Science Project Plastic Pirates Go Europe! – to investigate plastic waste by the River Spree. Together with Doris Knoblauch and Hannah Brunkhorst (both Ecologic Institute), the pirates explored the riverbank and made a few exciting discoveries.
 

Sampling with Schinkel Elementary School by River Spree

Plastic Pirates Spring Campaign 2025

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News
 
This spring, the German Plastic Pirates are once again setting off to explore plastic pollution in our waters. From 1 May to 30 June 2025, school classes and youth groups are invited to take part in the sampling period. The investigation will focus on the German coasts and the river systems of the Elbe and Danube, including their tributaries.
 

The Plastic Pirates' New Sampling Period is Dedicated to Plastic Waste Pollution on the Coasts and in the Elbe and Danube Catchment Areas

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Publication:Article
 
Cover of a research article from the Marine Pollution Bulletin. The title reads "Temporal variability of litter pollution of rivers in Germany – A long-term assessment by schoolchildren as citizen scientists." The article lists multiple authors and affiliations, and the abstract discusses the study's findings on river litter dynamics. Visible sections include the abstract and the introduction.
A seven-year citizen science study with schoolchildren on German riversides found stable litter density, mainly plastic and cigarette butts, with wider rivers showing higher litter levels, stressing the need for policy action.

Temporal Variability of Litter Pollution of Rivers in Germany

A long-term assessment by schoolchildren as citizen scientists

Year

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Publication:Article
 
First page of the community case study "Sharing communication insights of the citizen science program Plastic Pirates—best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research"
This article illustrates the communication strategies that were successfully applied in the citizen science program Plastic Pirates in Germany. The program engages schoolchildren, teachers and youth groups in plastic pollution research. A variety of communication strategies have been implemented and continuously revised and adapted since the start of the program in 2016.

Sharing Communication Insights of the Citizen Science Program Plastic Pirates

Best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research

Year

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Project
 
Since 2016, young people have been successfully researching and mapping plastic pollution in and around rivers in Germany. Now the expeditions are going into a new round: In the project "Plastic Pirates – German Coast", school classes and youth groups search for plastic waste on the coasts and the river system of the Elbe – including its tributaries such as the Havel, Mulde or Saale.

Plastic Pirates – German coast

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