Wednesday March 22 2023

World Water Day 2023: 650 kg less plastic in ocean by Dopper Water Taps at NHL Stenden

Wednesday, March 22, is World Water Day. A day dedicated to raising awareness of water issues. Think access to clean water, which is not yet a given everywhere, and an ocean full of plastic pollution. The theme of 2023 is accelerating change. We do this in small steps, of which the seven Dopper Water Taps spread across four NHL Stenden locations are an example. Students and staff have been able to fill their reusable bottles here since the end of September 2022. Until today, the college has already saved more than 22,500 disposable bottles with the water taps at central locations. This amounts to 650 kg of plastic that cannot end up in the ocean.

Disposable bottles easy and water taps hard to find

People still buy disposable bottles because it is easy, Dopper learned from research. Also, public water taps are hard to find. Dopper's recognizable water taps at central locations at NHL Stenden (find them here) give students and staff direct insight into their own positive impact via a digital screen. NHL Stenden sees in a dashboard how much plastic has been saved. "This helps us increase environmental awareness, make sustainability policies concrete and create a positive impact," said Victoria Snouck Hurgronje, sustainability booster within NHL Stenden.

World Water Day

In 1992, the United Nations (UN) declared March 22 as World Water Day. Each year this day has a different theme to highlight an aspect of the world's water issues. World Water Day also has a strong link to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: access to clean drinking water and sanitation. NHL Stenden is committed to the SDGs in the areas of education, facilities, research and collaboration.