NORIA Sustainable Innovators
Removing plastic from waterways with systems built on traditional Dutch water technology.
NORIA is an active partner in the "Solving the Urban Plastic Soup" project, contributing innovative solutions to combat plastic pollution in Amsterdam's waterways. During the project, NORIA successfully developed, installed, and tested a Canal Cleaner near Amsterdam Central Station. This temporary pilot (from April to October 2024) allowed the city to evaluate the system’s potential, assess its integration with existing measures to address plastic pollution, and collect valuable data on the quantity and quality of plastic waste flowing from the city toward the IJ River.
NORIA’s Canal Cleaner is a straightforward yet highly effective solution for combating plastic pollution in urban waterways. The system operates on passive collection principles, using the natural flow of water to direct waste toward a collection point for efficient removal. A series of floating barriers guide waste toward a collection point, where it is efficiently captured and removed without harming aquatic life. Its design is both sustainable and environmentally friendly, offering a low-maintenance approach to addressing plastic waste.
The simplicity of the Canal Cleaner allows it to be easily adapted and scaled for different waterway configurations, from urban canals to rivers and harbors. This innovative system provides a simple but effective sustainable solution to intercept plastic waste before it reaches larger waterways.
In addition to removing waste, the Canal Cleaner provides valuable insights into the plastic pollution problem by collecting data on the type, quantity, and flow of debris. This information supports cities like Amsterdam in understanding and addressing the sources of pollution more effectively. Furthermore, the system’s visible impact on cleaning waterways raises public awareness and encourages community engagement in sustainability efforts.
By combining simplicity, sustainability, and scalability, NORIA’s Canal Cleaner offers cities a practical and impactful tool for preserving their waterways and tackling plastic pollution.
More information on the company's mission and the technology can be found here: Noria Sustainable Innovators