This story is a part of the GenOcean campaign — an official Ocean Decade campaign showcasing Decade Actions, collaborating organizations and ocean leaders that focus on youth and citizen science opportunities to help anyone, anywhere be the change the ocean needs.
Plastic pollution is an environmental challenge that affects us all. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic waste flow from rivers into the ocean, harming ecosystems, wildlife and, ultimately, humans. The Innovative Solutions for Plastic Free EU Rivers (INSPIRE) project is stepping up to tackle this pressing issue head-on. Its mission: to drastically reduce the flow of plastic litter from European inland and transitional waters to the sea, by bringing together innovative technologies, research and community-driven actions.
As an endorsed project, INSPIRE addresses two Ocean Decade Challenges:
1 – Understand and beat marine pollution
9 – Skills, knowledge, technology and participation for all
A Holistic Approach to Combating Plastic Pollution
The INSPIRE project is designed to be a proactive, multi-faceted solution to the growing problem of plastic pollution. By combining cutting-edge technology with citizen participation, the project aims to create actionable, sustainable solutions. The focus is on three key pillars:
- Detection: Identifying plastic waste in rivers and along riverbanks.
- Collection: Gathering litter, macroplastics and microplastics from rivers and surrounding environments.
- Prevention: Stopping plastic waste from entering waterways by collecting it at waste streams and developing biodegradable alternatives to currently polluting products.
INSPIRE technologies are brought together at eight use cases covering nine European geographical areas (and replication is planned at more areas). These test sites, ranging from rivers to a festival site, are the real-world laboratories where the technologies and actions will be implemented and tested to fine-tune solutions for plastic pollution.
Collaborative Efforts Across Europe
The INSPIRE consortium is a collaborative effort involving 26 partners, each bringing a unique expertise to the table. This includes a strong mix of academia, industry leaders, communication specialists and environmental organizations, all working together to develop successful, scalable solutions for plastic pollution.
Key partners in this initiative are VITO Remote Sensing, River Cleanup and the VLIZ Flanders Marine Institute. These partners are working together to address the pollution of the Scheldt River, one of the six test sites where progress is already being made.
Breaking New Ground in Temse, Belgium
On 14 March 2025, VITO, River Cleanup and VLIZ presented their first results in Temse, Belgium, showcasing the latest detection, collection and analysis techniques as well as prevention actions they’ve been testing in the Scheldt River. This demonstration marked a major milestone in the INSPIRE project, highlighting the role of technology in creating cleaner rivers.
The focus of these efforts is to take a comprehensive approach to tackle plastic waste. VLIZ is overseeing the scientific aspects, ensuring that the methods employed are effective in reducing plastic in rivers, while VITO is using advanced remote sensing and AI technologies with drones and cameras mounted on the bridge to map the flow and accumulation of plastic. Meanwhile, River Cleanup brings expertise in organizing clean-up campaigns, promoting innovative waste collection techniques and reducing single-use plastics.
“With drone flights and AI-driven image analysis, we can detect and track plastic waste, even in hard-to-reach areas,” said Arne Van Overloop, Remote Sensing & AI expert at VITO Remote Sensing.
Innovative Technologies for Cleaner Rivers
At the demonstration in Temse, the partners presented several INSPIRE innovative technologies designed to detect plastic pollution:
- VLIZ’s Manta Net Trawl: A specialized trawl that filters microplastics from surface water, helping to capture even the smallest particles that are often overlooked.
- Ferrybox Systems: These systems use pumps and sieves to capture plastic particles from water sources, providing a way to filter out larger waste from the river.
- Drone Technology and Bridge-mounted Cameras: VITO’s drone technology and cameras, along with AI-driven image analysis, allow for the detection and tracking of plastic waste on river banks and floating in the river.
Additionally, a floating litter monitoring app developed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) is being utilized in INSPIRE to track floating waste in rivers. This app allows users to document and report waste using smartphones, feeding valuable data into a European database that helps monitor plastic pollution.
A Model for the World
The ultimate goal of the INSPIRE project is to develop solutions that are adaptable to local conditions, not just in Europe but globally. After the project concludes, the aim is to have a model that can be implemented in rivers worldwide, allowing stakeholders to map the plastic problem in their own regions and select the most appropriate prevention and collection strategies.
“INSPIRE solutions are adaptable to local conditions. The aim is to develop a model that can be implemented in every river worldwide after the project has ended,” said Gert Everaert, Vice Research Director of VLIZ and coordinator of INSPIRE. “This will allow stakeholders to map the plastic problem themselves and choose the most suitable prevention and collection strategies.”
Join the Fight for Cleaner Rivers
While technological innovations are critical, community action plays a key role in the success of the INSPIRE project. To complement the high-tech solutions, INSPIRE and River Cleanup are organizing hands-on clean-up events in Temse, with the first one scheduled on April 6th, 2025 for the first River Cleanup Day of the year. These community-driven efforts will help to directly remove plastic from river banks and encourage public participation in environmental protection. Be part of the movement for cleaner rivers – let’s work together for a plastic-free future!
Stay updated on the latest developments by following the INSPIRE project and its partners.
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