Dirk Groot, also known as the Zwerfinator, fights against litter in his hometown of Purmerend. In addition to collecting waste, he also conducts research into how municipalities and companies can better tackle the waste problem.
When Dirk Groot walked through Purmerend behind the pram nine years ago, he was annoyed by all the rubbish on the street. He decided not only to clean it up, but also to make it his job.
Wanderer
Since then he has been known as the Zwerfinator. Everything he finds, he puts on the picture. And not only that: municipalities and companies use his research into litter to tackle the waste problem in a more targeted way. The Zwerfinator has helped ensure that there is now a deposit on plastic bags, bottles and cans.
Since that was introduced, Groot finds a lot less bottles on the street. He is also proud of his initiative to get water balloons and plastic confetti off the shelves. He succeeded in this together with other litter pickers.
Candy paper
In addition, the enthusiastic Purmerender went to a manufacturer of throat lozenges, because he found many plastic wrappers on the street. “They call it candy paper, but it is in plastic. They have now switched to paper packaging. If they end up in nature or water, they will at least perish,” says Groot.
His latest research shows that plastic litter has fallen from 60 to 45 percent. Still, the battle is not over yet. Dirk is now aiming his arrows at drink cartons, squeeze packaging and plastic bottles that do not yet have a deposit.