European floods

Cleaning up the aftermath of the floods

River Solidarity Actions

Donate or help on-site in flood affected areas

Floods in Central Europe devastated local communities, households and nature in 2021. River Cleanup brought helping hands to the affected areas in the South of Belgium.

1. Make a donation

The floods of 2021 left a 100 km trail of waste, plastic  and dirt behind. Together, with the help of our amazing River Warriors, we cleaned up the Vesdre and the Ourthe. There are still a few hard-to-clean spots left where a small team of dedicated volunteers keeps going.

 

Sponsor our efforts in these affected Belgium areas by making a financial donation to River Cleanup. With your donation we provide materials and coordination for these local cleanup missions. Together, we can help our local communities in need. We make every donation count!  

 

“The greatest threat to this planet, is the belief that someone else will save it.” Robert Swan.

2. Take action on-site

Looking for ways to participate? Join us on our next cleanup mission in the affected areas! Gather your friends, family or co-workers and get your hands moving! We provide transportation, materials, coordination, and insurance. Together, we can make a difference!

For bigger groups and companies, please contact nicolas@river-cleanup.org

Organize your own cleanup

Start by giving your cleanup a name and fill in your email address so that we can identify you or let you create an account in a later step.

Acties

Show past actions
Filter
Date

Our impact

6 401
Events
295 619
Warriors
3 705 413
kg recovered

Past actions

New database helps businesses and consumers reduce plastic waste

River Cleanup is launching a database of smart solutions and practical tools to reduce plastic waste. The database offers concrete tips to avoid, reduce and recycle single-use plastic.

World Cleanup Day: the start of a weekend full of cleanups

Encouraged by River Cleanup, over 300 volunteers took care of the banks and waters of the Brussels Canal and 87 cleanups are underway in 33 countries.

Three Years After the Floods

In July 2021, exceptional rainfall caused the Vesder and Ourthe rivers to overflow. The resulting floods caused unprecedented destruction, leaving both people and nature distressed. Three years after the floods in Wallonia, River Cleanup volunteers are rolling up their sleeves one last time. After 240 clean-up efforts, the job is finally completed.

Team Belgium visits team Indonesia!

BLOG: January 2024, we visited one of our key projects in Bandung to confirm the location to test the Clean River Model. We joined the daily actions, felt the energy of the River Cleanup School program and discussed the further implementation of our Clean River Model with the local government and policy makers.

A world first for Belgium: citizens using drones to find waste on the banks of the river Scheldt

29/06/2023 - The Waste Watchers project engages citizens to use drones to photograph the river Scheldt's banks. Artificial Intelligence then detects where most of the litter is located. This VITO and River Cleanup research project is a world first, the first time the wider public is involved by using their drones to identify litter.

More than 60 river cleanups in 32 countries on World Cleanup Day

World Cleanup Day took place on Saturday, 16 September, involving millions of volunteers in more than 191 countries who joined forces to clean up litter. River Cleanup, a Belgian non-profit organization that cleans up rivers worldwide to prevent plastics from reaching our oceans, organized more than 66 cleanup campaigns around the globe, including three in this country. In Belgium, approximately 427 volunteers rolled up their sleeves for 1020 kilos of cleared litter.