The Pirates who took on the Plastic tide

Over the past three years, the Plastic Pirates Go Europe! project has grown into one of the largest youth citizen science campaigns on plastic pollution in Europe. More than 25,000 students from 14 Member States rolled up their sleeves, headed to their local waterways, and collected a wealth of data on plastic in European rivers - now publicly available through open-source publications.

Along the way, the project also developed its own methodology for sampling and analysing plastic pollution, leading to the very useful Lessons Learned from Upscaling a Citizen Science Initiative Across Europe, a practical guide with 12 key insights for teachers, policymakers, researchers, and environmental advocates. Now that their expedition has come to an end, the results speak for themselves.

Every year, around 11 million tonnes of plastic reach the ocean, with rivers contributing for up to 2 million tonnes. Yet plastic pollution in aquatic environments remains difficult to measure accurately. Tracking plastic across vast and complex networks of rivers and coastlines requires resources and time that are often out of reach. 

This is where citizen science comes in. Thousands of young volunteer explorers - or ‘data-hunting pirates’ - stepped in to help scientists gather the information they need.

How did they do it?

Funded by a Horizon Europe Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters” grant, the Plastic Pirates – Go Europe! turned classrooms into research hubs. Young “scientists” first learned about rivers, oceans ecosystems and the impacts of plastic pollution, guided by a specially developed teaching booklet. They then headed into the field, following the project’s standardised scientific protocol to run sampling campaigns and collect data on microplastics and larger litter along rivers, streams, and coastlines.

Between 2022 and 2025, the project processed and verified more than 1,200 datasets on microplastics gathered from sampling campaigns in more than 360 European rivers. Identifying, sorting, and classifying plastic litter is no simple task, ensuring that data collected across regions remain comparable adds another layer of complexity.

Thanks to the coordinated work of more than 26 organisations, the data were harmonised, published, and metadata integrated into both the Integrated Marine Information System (IMIS) and Marine Data Archive (MDA).

Building team spirit and community values

Beyond the figures, Plastic Pirates – Go Europe! succeeded in building a community united by a shared sense of purpose: protecting nature and environment. With over 25,000 participants from more than 800 school classes and youth groups in 14 European countries, the project placed young people at the heart of its activities. 

Young participants discovered firsthand how scientific evidence is collected, why it matters for environmental policy, and helped schools embed hands-on science into the curriculum. The project’s impact has spread beyond Europe, inspiring additional pilot projects in Barbados, Ecuador, Chile, and Egypt.

Although this scientific voyage has reached its final shore, the hope is that the spirit of the Plastic Pirates crew continue to guide young generations as they carry the values they have learned into new waters.

Key Facts

From 3 to 14 European countries 

In 2016, the campaign started as Plastic Pirates in Germany

In 2020, during the German EU Presidency, it extended to the Trio Presidency: Germany, Portugal and Slovenia

In 2022, the initiative gained new life thanks to a Horizon Europe grant

Teaching booklet and scientific protocol is available in 14 languages

26+ research organisations across Europe process and verify the data

93,700+ plastic items found, 51,100 are single-use plastic items

Out of 120 teachers consulted

91% would like to continue the Plastic Pirates next year

88% have recommended the Plastic Pirates to other teachers 

99% report that the initiative has an impact on the children in communicating the need to reduce plastic waste