Armed with a kayak, Wilbert and Alen fight against waste: “You find really dirty things”

During the coronalockdown, Enkhuizer Alen came up with the idea to purchase two kayaks together with his mate Wilbert. “I never really thought about doing something like that,” Wilbert explains. “But when I heard Alen’s initiative, I was immediately enthusiastic. We have very beautiful rivers here.”

The friends soon begin to maneuver through the narrow canals and ditches and gradually she begins to notice something frustrating. “There’s trash in the water everywhere,” Wilbert continues, paddling in search of his next loot.

Action

And instead of complaining about the waste, the people of Enkhuizen decide to take action. “We got buckets and grabs, and started shoveling waste out of the water while paddling,” Alen sums up. “You really get a lot of satisfaction out of it. You do something good for yourself, society, nature and the environment. And that while we are also having fun.”

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Fleet growing

The two get into the kayak on average once a week to make the canals and rivers cleaner. “Sometimes we are out for three or four hours,” Wilbert explains. “And you will be surprised about the objects that we remove from the water. From toilet bowls to used tampons or beer cans filled with piss. Sometimes it is really too gross for words,” laughs the initiator.

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The men started the clean-up adventure in 2019. Back then they owned two kayaks, but now the fleet has grown to no fewer than five. “Interested people can use the kayaks for free, provided they also pick waste from the water while paddling.”

Staff

Both gentlemen dream that the ‘Green Kayak’ will soon float throughout the Netherlands, in order to collect thousands of kilos of plastic from canals and rivers together. Until now, Alen and Wilbert are the two of them at the helm of this dream, but according to Wilbert outside help is needed to grow further.

“We are currently in contact with the Hoogheemraadschap and we hope that they will sponsor additional kayaks. We also need gloves and warm clothing, for example.” Because even in winter the gentlemen can be found on the water. “But of course not as long as today”, Wilbert laughs. “Our hands wouldn’t hold out.”