Plastic pollution in rivers is one of the fastest-growing threats to marine ecosystems, with the majority of ocean plastics originating upstream. RIPPLE addresses this challenge at its source, preventing plastics from entering rivers and ultimately the sea. By combining design thinking, makers innovation, citizen science, and open participatory tools, RIPPLE offers a novel, community-driven approach that goes beyond cleanup. The project raises awareness, educates, and empowers citizens and local stakeholders to change behaviors, while also transforming collected plastics into valuable resources through affordable, accessible maker technologies.
RIPPLE builds a multi-layered framework where prevention, education, and reuse create small but powerful changes – ripples – that expand into systemic impact. Through accessible design interventions, participatory monitoring, and creative reuse of plastics, the project mobilises local communities, schools, and citizens as co-creators of solutions. This integrated approach ensures that fewer plastics reach rivers in the first place, while those that do are transformed into opportunities for learning, creativity, and innovation.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101296045.
