Aquatic Plastic Podcast #5

What if the plastic polluting our rivers could be transformed into green islands, teeming with plants and wildlife? For Dutch architect and environmental pioneer Ramon Knoester, this is not just an idea but a reality. As the founder of Clear Rivers, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting plastic pollution, Knoester has spent the last decade proving that waste can be turned into something beautiful and lasting. Tune in to the fifth episode of Aquatic Plastic to learn more about Ramon Knoester’s dedication to the environment.

A Childhood by the Water

Ramon Knoester grew up surrounded by rivers and canals in the Dutch countryside. He remembers carefree summers of swimming, paddling, and boating in clean water. But when he takes his own children to the river today, the scene is different: pollution, plastic bottles, and debris are everywhere. This painful contrast fuels his determination to restore what has been lost.

When Architecture Meets Activism

Trained as an architect, Knoester originally set out to design beautiful, lasting structures. But as plastic pollution in Rotterdam’s rivers grew impossible to ignore, he shifted his focus. If no one else would tackle the problem, he thought, then he would. That decision marked the birth of Clear Rivers, a nonprofit committed to intercepting and recycling plastic waste.

Innovation on the Water

Ramon’s work is best known for two groundbreaking projects:

• Litter Traps – passive devices that capture floating plastics before they reach the sea.

• Recycled Floating Parks – green islands built from recovered plastics, offering habitats for wildlife and fresh urban spaces for people.

These innovations are not only functional but symbolic, showing that waste can be transformed into something valuable and beautiful.

A Global Movement

What began in Rotterdam has spread worldwide. Clear Rivers now works with partners in Hungary, Romania, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Each location presents new challenges—powerful river currents, lack of recycling infrastructure, or overwhelming volumes of waste. Yet everywhere, Knoester finds the same thing: communities eager to act once they are given the tools.

For Knoester, technology is only half the story. Volunteers, students, and local organizations are at the heart of the mission.

The Problem of “Accidental Plastics”

Not all pollution is intentional. Knoester uses the term “accidental plastics” to describe waste that ends up in rivers through wind, storms, or floods. Plastic tools used in everyday life ,swept away during heavy storms—all these find their way into waterways without anyone deliberately throwing them in. This makes the fight against plastic even more urgent, as it highlights how everyday habits, infrastructure gaps, and climate change combine to turn small leaks into massive environmental problems.

Plastic pollution is not just an eyesore—it threatens ecosystems, human health, and future generations. Knoester’s work demonstrates that solutions exist when innovation, community, and determination come together. His journey proves that global change can start with local action.

Dive In

Want to hear how discarded bottles become part of a floating park, or how rivers can be kept plastic-free? Tune in to the Aquatic Plastic podcast and join Ramon Knoester on his inspiring mission to clean and reclaim our waterways.

Listen to the full episode of Aquatic Plastic to learn more about how innovation, community action, and a lifelong connection to water can help restore the health of our planet’s most vital ecosystems.

Aquatic Plastic is brought to you by the Interreg Danube Region Programme, co-funded by the European Union. Operating within the world's most international river basin, the Aquatic Plastic Danube-Region Interreg project unites 33 organizations spanning 10 countries. Together, we are executing 19 pilot actions and developing 8 solutions aimed at preventing, reducing, and managing plastic pollution in the natural waterways of the Danube River Basin. How do we navigate through such diverse borders? Explore further by delving into our report, and begin following our journey on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.

00:00 Intro: Meet Ramon Knoester
Welcome to the episode featuring Ramon Knoester, architect, innovator, and recycling pioneer. Discover his journey through rivers, plastics, and floating solutions, and explore how Clear Rivers is transforming waste into hope along Europe’s waterways.

05:04 Childhood by the Water
Ramon recalls his childhood on farmland surrounded by canals, where rivers were once clean and inviting. He contrasts that with today, where his own children grow up seeing pollution as normal.
“For them, they're being raised with the situation that there is pollution everywhere.”

10:50 From Architecture to Activism
Initially driven by a passion for architecture, Ramon soon realized plastic pollution demanded his attention. Finding no one else addressing it in Rotterdam, he decided to act.
“If nobody else is doing it, then I should do it.”

15:13 Rivers Without Borders
Pollution flows across countries and rivers, regardless of national waste management systems. Even in organized regions, plastics enter waterways through negligence or natural forces. Ramon describes how wind, floods, and storms carry plastics unintentionally into rivers. The term “accidental plastics” captures how easily waste escapes into the environment.
“We see more accidental plastics, so to speak, so the plastics that has not been intendedly littered.”

22:38 Recycled Floating Parks
Blending his architectural background with activism, Ramon created floating parks from recovered plastics. These green islands both restore ecosystems and raise awareness.
“So we take the pollution, we recycle it, and we turn it into something durable to help marine life and to help the bird life and to at the same time greenify the city itself. ”

30:06 Building with Plastics
The development of floating parks required experimenting with diverse plastic types and turning each into a functional part of the structure.
“The main conclusion was to use these different kinds of plastics by itself, and then to recycle it into a unique product every time.”

38:35 Beyond Parks: Global Projects
From Rotterdam to Vietnam, Clear Rivers combines litter traps, recycling, and floating parks to greenify cities and revitalize ecosystems. Ramon stresses the need for local partnerships to adapt solutions to each context.
“We are now working also in Vietnam to create floating green structures with recycled plastics.”

45:34 Community and Young People
Volunteers and students are central to Clear Rivers’ impact. Ramon shares how their motivation and gratitude inspire him to keep going. He counts on their ideas and suggestions, too - behind a recent innovation, stands a questionnaire, circulated among students.
“Actually I get a lot of energy from working with other people, but especially also working with young people.”

49:22 The Rise of Litter Traps
Frustrated by the endless cycle of cleanups, Ramon developed passive litter traps that use river flow to capture plastics. Continuous improvements led to modular litter traps, locally buildable and durable, ensuring long-term effectiveness and easier transport.
“We cleaned up an area, and then one or two weeks later the area was polluted again… so I wanted to find another way.”

1:02:35 Expansion to Romania
Following Budapest, Clear Rivers installed traps in Romania on the river Crusil (Kőrös) to stop pollution before it crossed into Hungary. The projects taught new lessons about strong currents and local cooperation.
“I'm really happy that we can help in resolving these cross-border issues.”

1:10:22 Managing Growth and Balance
Ramon explains how he balances international fieldwork and office work. For him, variety fuels creativity and keeps him energized.
“For me, let’s say installing a litter trap is always the most beautiful day of my life.”

1:15:03 Competition, Cooperation, and Continuity
The Netherlands fosters many innovative startups. Ramon values this, but stresses the need for long-term structural support beyond pilot projects.
“Let’s focus on these long-term approaches and not just support a new innovation or a new gadget.”

1:19:13 Game Time and saying goodbye

TIMESTAMP for youtube:
00:00 Intro: Meet Ramon Knoester
05:04 Childhood by the Water
10:50 From Architecture to Activism
15:13 Rivers Without Borders
22:38 Recycled Floating Parks
30:06 Building with Plastics
38:35 Beyond Parks: Global Projects
45:34 Community and Young People
49:22 The Rise of Litter Traps
1:02:35 Expansion to Romania
1:10:22 Managing Growth and Balance
1:15:03 Competition, Cooperation, and Continuity
1:19:13 Game Time and saying goodbye