Name: WasteBar: where waste has value
Start: 2025-10-06T12:00:00+02:00
End: 2025-10-06T16:00:00+02:00
Location: Waaier - O&O square

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Monday 6 October 2025 12:00 - 16:00

Help clean up the campus - and get snacks and drinks in return

What: WasteBar, Campus cleanup exercise with food and drinks
When: Monday 8 October, 12:00 – 16:00
Where: O&O Square
Registr: No registration needed

Food and drinks in exchange for a clean campus

The WasteBar caravan is coming to the UT! At the WasteBar, waste has value: you can buy drinks and snacks with litter. A portion of poffertjes in exchange for cans and cigarette butts, for example. In short, you can contribute to a clean campus and get food and drinks in return! The WasteBar team will help you get started and explain the harmful effects of litter (and cigarette butts in particular) on the environment. They also share information about waste separation and recycling options.

Did you know?

In the Netherlands, an estimated 50 million kilograms of litter is generated annually! A large portion consists of plastic packaging, cigarette butts, and drink containers. To combat this, the government introduced a deposit system (statiegeld) for small plastic bottles in 2021 and cans in 2023, significantly reducing litter in public spaces.  🌍♻️
In the Netherlands, an estimated 5-10 billion cigarette butts 🚬 are discarded as litter each year! These butts contain plastic filters and release toxic chemicals into the environment. They are the most common form of litter in cities, parks, and beaches, posing a serious threat to wildlife and water quality.

1 million cigarette butts in 2025

Last year, WasteBar collected more than half a million cigarette butts. These were transformed into a huge work of art by artist Angelina Kumar, called Het Peukenbos (The Cigarette Butt Forest). It will be on display until September 2025 in the Utrecht Stadskantoor (City Office, opposite Central Station).

The goal for 2025 is to collect 1 million cigarette butts and clean plastic waste and turn them into a recycled plastic bench or garden set. WasteBar is doing this together with UPPACT. So come by on October 6 and help us achieve this goal!

Sustainability Week

This event is part of Sustainability Week 2025: an annual week filled with fun and educational events, designed to inspire, and engage participants to join the sustainability movement. You can find all Sustainability Week events on the special website.

Waaier - O&O square

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