Operation Knetterbal: banning fireworks with data

CONTEXT

Plastics are used frequently in single use products and become environmentally hazardous litter & waste after their use.

A popular type of firework in the Netherlands, called Knetterbal Firecrackers, are one such product.

After they explode, plastic shards from the casing are left strewn across the nearby area.

Dirk Groot (Zwerfinator) and Merjin Tinga are inspired the Dutch Litterati community to gather data that would inspire a significant policy change to reduce plastic litter in the environment from Knetterbals.

CHALLENGE

How do you collect enough data to convince corporations to choose the environment over profits?

LITTERATI SOLUTION

The Litterati community worked together through the app to pick up and tag over 62,000+ pieces of plastic littered from Knetterbal explosions.

The overwhelming data led to a domino effect of some of the largest Dutch retailers to sign a covenant in agreement to ban the sale of the firecrackers.

The retailers who joined in the agreement include large department stores, supermarket chains, toy stores, and more & included names like HEMA and Albert Hein. 

CONCLUSION

Taking the Knetterbals off of the shelves from major retailers was a win, as it prevents plastic litter before it even has a chance to be created.

But Dirk and Merijn didn’t stop there.

They went a step further to get producers & importers sign a different Knalplastic Covenant called the ‘Blastic Deal’.

This agreement not only stops the sale of Knetterbals now but also phases out all plastic in all fireworks in the Netherlands over the next two years.

Further efforts are now in place to spread this example to influence policy around the sale & manufacturing of Firecrackers across Europe.