Specific Items

Dolly Rope, Cancer Sticks and Mermaid Tears

🌊 Dolly Rope (Vispluis)

This tangled web of nylon threads is used to protect fishing nets during bottom trawling—a destructive method that drags nets across the ocean floor, destroying everything in its path. The worst part? Fishermen make no effort to collect the vispluis afterward. Belgium has already banned some types of dolly rope, proving that change is possible—if we push for it!

🚬 Cancer Sticks (Cigarette Butts)

A single cigarette butt can pollute at least 8 liters of drinking water! In cities, cigarette butts often end up between the cracks of brick roads—which are designed to absorb rainwater. The next downpour washes the toxins straight into the groundwater. This is a major issue in Zeeland, where fresh groundwater is already scarce. Being in a river delta, our freshwater sits on top of saltwater, making local freshwater sources even more precious—especially for agriculture.

🧴 Mermaid Tears (Nurdles)

Nerdles are tiny plastic pellets, the last bits left in manufacturing tubes. If you kneel down at Nollestrand, the beach behind Panta Rhei, you’ll see just how many there are! One known source? DOW Chemicals in Terneuzen. The good news? DOW is a Covenant Clean Scheldt member and has expressed commitment to tackling this issue—we’re holding them to it!