Sustainability Challenge: students trace plastic pellet pollution in the Port of Rotterdam
In the Port of Rotterdam, tiny industrial pellets leak into the environment, causing a form of pollution that’s hard to trace but highly persistent. Three students of the LDE Sustainability Honours Programme took on the challenge to identify sources of this pollution.
To support future action, the team developed an interactive digital map that brings together all relevant data including hotspots, nearby companies and the types of activities taking place. “It’s a tool the port can update over time as new information becomes available”, the students explain.
The research also led to several practical recommendations for the Port of Rotterdam. One key suggestion was to invest in better modelling tools to track the movement of plastic pellets through the port area.
Apply now and join your own sustainability challenge!
Second- and third-year bachelor's students from all faculties are welcome at the LDE Sustainability Honours Programme. The programme (15 EC) in a nutshell:
- Discover how to make a positive impact on sustainability issues.
- Learn how to tackle complex challenges in a structured way.
- Meet students from other universities and visit their campuses.
- Use your creativity in assessments beyond the usual exams.
Interested? Take a look on our website and apply by 5 October 2025! You can also apply for the LDE Space & Society Honours Programme.
Port of Rotterdam: 'The collaboration was excellent'
Imke Deibel, Advisor Environmental Management at the Port of Rotterdam, is pleased with the students' contributions. "The collaboration was excellent, with diverse expertise coming together seamlessly. The students worked independently, remained engaged, and regularly shared updates. I was genuinely proud to see them present their findings to the entire taskforce with such confidence and professionalism."
The students, too, look back proudly on their project. For all three, the LDE Sustainability Honours Programme was an opportunity to step outside the boundaries of their regular studies and work on a concrete sustainability issue. "I wanted to do something that involved more creative thinking and solution design", says Elvire.
This article is a summary of an article from the LDE Centre for Sustainability. Want to know more? Please visit the link below.
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