Merijn Tinga
[2][3][4] Tinga used different campaign methods: kiteboarding and standup paddleboarding expeditions to raise awareness of the plastic soup problem, a motion for the Dutch House of Representatives that was adopted by the Dutch Government, judicial notices handed over by bailiffs to CEO's of companies whose products cause plastic pollution,[5][6] collecting photos of littered products and holding companies accountable for this, a lawsuit and covenants.
[14][15] In 2017, Tinga presented a petition motion that called for 90% less plastic littered bottles within three years, together with 57.000 collected signatures, in the Dutch House of Representatives.
This legal instrument is a 'declaration of awareness' by which companies are formally informed of the pollution, dangers and consequences of the litter as a result of their products or packaging.
[21][22][23] This way he managed to meet with the CEO's of soft drink manufacturers and Dutch retail companies that tried to block the introduction of deposits on small plastic bottles.
[32][11] In July 2023 Merijn Tinga surfed on Thamse river in London in support of the UK initiative for legislation in regard to deposit return scheme for beverage containers.
In this unusual track, Tinga using windsurfing board, bearing back discarded plastic bottles traced to their origin in Sweden.
He then spent five weeks to surf between Oslo and London, calling for the British government to establish a nationwide deposit return scheme.
He also brought a petition with many signatures to environment minister Rebecca Pow encouraging the conservative politician to take action on the legislation for DRS in the UK.
[33] As a result of his expedition and in addition to meeting ministers and politicians, Tinga even met representatives from Coca-Cola in Westminster and he was invited to follow-up DRS discussions in September 2023.
he successfully surfed from London to Paris in three weeks to draw attention to the littering of plastic in the sea, a similar campaign to what he already performed for the UK.
