From the French Riviera to the heart of Italy: the Nice–Rome expedition to push for the introduction of the deposit-based tax (DRS) to combat plastic pollution.
In May 2026, Dutch activist and biologist Merijn Tinga, known as Plastic Soup Surfer, will embark on a 29-day, 1,000-km solo expedition from Nice to Rome, alternating windsurfing and paddling depending on the wind. This epic adventure is for a concrete cause: accelerating the introduction of the deposit-return system (DRS) on plastic bottles, combining adventure, citizen science, artificial intelligence, and dialogue with citizens, schools, marine communities, and public decision-makers. The deposit-return system is a practice we were once very accustomed to, but has been lost over the years, overwhelmed by a “throwaway” lifestyle. Reviving it and using it to combat plastic pollution means choosing a simple and effective solution.
The most recent estimates show that approximately 500,000 tons of plastic enter the Mediterranean Sea alone every year, the equivalent of 33,800 bottles per minute.
The Nice–Rome route is part of a broader European path already started by the Plastic Soup Surfer: after Oslo–London–Paris–Nice, the route continues towards Italy to bring experiences and results to support the introduction of DRS in our country too.
Stage by stage, from Nice to Rome, the journey will be recounted daily to raise public awareness. Furthermore, the board Merijn Tinga will sail with will be made from organic and recycled materials and will contain bottles from the Tiber River recovered by him in December 2025 during an initial meeting with local associations and authorities, a visual reminder that what we abandon always returns to shore.
During the crossing, public meetings are planned with local communities, schools, associations, and administrations to share objectives and data collected through citizen science and analyzed with artificial intelligence tools, and to gather support.
To actively engage communities, plastic bottle collection days will be promoted in urban settings and on beaches. The collected objects will be catalogued and studied as citizen science activities and analyzed with artificial intelligence tools to produce useful evidence for discussion with institutions and companies. These events will be part of the “Waste in Sight”” events calendar.
International experience offers a clear precedent: in the Netherlands, after the introduction of the DRS, bottle and can waste dropped by around 80% in six months; the ambition is to replicate that result here too, where the sea is both identity and future.
The campaign includes a citizen science call to action: in addition to the “Waste in Sight” events, anyone can contribute by photographing waste along coasts and rivers; the images will be analyzed with artificial intelligence to transform the collected data into concrete arguments for dialogue with institutions and businesses. Administrations, associations, schools, and companies can propose local activities, host a stopover, or support the expedition.
To do so, just write to stefano@plasticsoupsurfer.org.
