Plastic Origins description

Plastic Origins is a citizen science project developed by the not-for-profit Surfrider Foundation Europe (www.surfrider.eu) to map river plastic pollution in Europe. Results will help localize plastic hotspots, propose solutions to local stakeholders and measure pollution trends over the years to come.

To contribute, walk or kayak along the riverbanks near where you live. Use your smartphone and the Plastic Origins app to collect data. You will have the choice between two options:
1. The “automatic” mode, where you will have to record riverbanks on video. Our artificial intelligence algorithm will then analyse it, detect and count litter items for you.
2. The “manual” mode, where you will have to signal yourself each litter item observed on the riverbanks.

For your safety, to participate you must know how to swim and be in optimal security conditions. Surfrider cannot be held responsible in case of accident, loss or degradation of your material.

All tech tools used for the project (except this app made by the company Matsiya) have been developed by volunteers. The project would not exist without their support. Thank you to all who contributed. All scripts and algorithms are open-sourced and available on our GitHub page (https://github.com/surfriderfoundationeurope).

All collected data can be accessed and downloaded from our website www.plasticorigins.eu. Surfrider Foundation Europe will use this data at national and European levels to mobilize decision makers and urge them to act. Locally, you will be able to use the data to denounce plastic pollution hotspots and highlight the problem. Thanks to your results, we will know where to take action and if our measures are efficient.

Are you ready to get onboard? Here are your next steps:
1. Consult our website to get a deeper understanding of the project (www.plasticorigins.eu) and Surfrider’s activities (www.surfrider.eu).
2. Get in touch with us ([email protected]). We provide a training to all volunteers before they go into the field.
3. Download the Plastic Origins app on your smartphone, create an account and get familiar with its functionalities.
4. Take a day off to enjoy nature and collect some data for us. 😊