17 April
Kick-off Plastic Soup Surfer Merijn Tinga
Contact
Nieuwe Rijn
2312 JC LEIDEN Plan your route to Kick-off Plastic Soup Surfer Merijn Tinga
In May 2026, Merijn Tinga continues his expedition and windsurfs 750 km along the Mediterranean coast and later paddles up the Tiber to Rome.
Merijn Tinga, better known as the Plastic Soup Surfer, has achieved something granted to few: a private audience with the Pope in Vatican City. And he is windsurfing there. From April 28 to May 21, 2026, he will cover 750 kilometers along the Mediterranean coast from Nice to Rome to personally convince the world leader of the Catholic Church to install a deposit return machine.
Once again, the goal is to make the power of deposits visible, collect local litter data, and share my lobbying experience with Italian campaigns and policymakers. The kick-off is on Friday morning, April 17, in Leiden, marking the start of the continuation of the spectacular Oslo-London 1,800 km (2023), London-Paris 900 km (2024), and Paris-Nice 1,250 km (2025) SUP and windsurf expeditions!
Program
09:45 - Arrival with coffee and tea
10:00 - Kick-off with the Mayor of Leiden - Peter Heijkoop
Presentat…
Merijn Tinga, better known as the Plastic Soup Surfer, has achieved something granted to few: a private audience with the Pope in Vatican City. And he is windsurfing there. From April 28 to May 21, 2026, he will cover 750 kilometers along the Mediterranean coast from Nice to Rome to personally convince the world leader of the Catholic Church to install a deposit return machine.
Once again, the goal is to make the power of deposits visible, collect local litter data, and share my lobbying experience with Italian campaigns and policymakers. The kick-off is on Friday morning, April 17, in Leiden, marking the start of the continuation of the spectacular Oslo-London 1,800 km (2023), London-Paris 900 km (2024), and Paris-Nice 1,250 km (2025) SUP and windsurf expeditions!
Program
09:45 - Arrival with coffee and tea
10:00 - Kick-off with the Mayor of Leiden - Peter Heijkoop
Presentation of the Mayor's letter to Peter Heijkoop and letters to his colleagues Femke Halsema, Carola Schouten, and Sharon Dijksma
Write your own message to the Pope and give it to the Plastic Soup Surfer
10:30 - Accompanied by stand-up paddleboarders, the Plastic Soup Surfer surfs away from the quay
10:35 - Time for coffee, questions, and interviews
11:00 - End of event
When
- Friday the 17th of april 2026 at 10:00