The Ocean Cleanup was founded by Dutch inventor Boyan Slat. In 2012, he developed an innovative system to remove plastic from the ocean. A year later, he founded The Ocean Cleanup. Over the past thirteen years, the organisation has removed more than 60 million kilos of plastic from waters worldwide. “It’s an organisation that makes a serious, tangible impact and has a wide reach. That’s something we at Quooker find very interesting,” says Sam Smeets, Sustainability Manager at Quooker. “We’ve been working with Made Blue for ten years, an organisation that installs water wells and helps provide access to clean drinking water in developing countries. Making clean water accessible is incredibly important, but so is cleaning up polluted water. That’s why we invited The Ocean Cleanup to come and talk to us.”

A shared mission This spring, Bas Maase from The Ocean Cleanup visited Quooker in Ridderkerk. Sam: “During our conversation, they told us about their research-driven approach and the innovative systems they develop. We talked about our mission and our partnership with Made Blue. It turned out we have a lot in common: both our organisations have roots in the Rotterdam region, we feel a strong sense of social responsibility, and we are both motivated to improve water quality around the world.”

The Ocean Cleanup offered Quooker the opportunity to become an Independent Supporter. We made a donation that the organisation will use to remove plastic waste from waterways.

30 Cities Program One of The Ocean Cleanup’s projects is the 30 Cities Program, which focuses on 30 of the world’s most polluting coastal cities. Huge amounts of plastic waste enter the water from these cities and eventually reach the oceans via rivers. The Ocean Cleanup uses so-called Interceptors to stop this waste before processing it in the most suitable way locally. “We think it’s a fantastic project,” says Sam. “It helps make the water in rivers cleaner, and that’s something we at Quooker are very happy to contribute to.” Quooker and The Ocean Cleanup will remain in close contact in the coming period. Sam: “We’ll keep talking, keep each other informed about what’s happening and regularly check in to see what we can do for each other. I can certainly imagine us making another donation in the future.”

Published on 26-08-2026