Green Phenix

🌍 Plastic Pollution: A Form of Modern Colonialism? Did you know that plastic pollution isn’t just an environmental crisis—it’s also reinforcing global inequalities? Here’s how: while industries profit from the mass production of plastics, the real cost is borne by low-income regions, especially in the Global South. These communities are forced to deal with mountains of waste, polluted waterways, and degraded ecosystems—despite contributing the least to the problem. The result? Structural violence that perpetuates poverty and maldevelopment. 📉 The Hard Truth: This imbalance creates a cycle where vulnerable communities suffer the environmental and health costs, while wealthier nations often escape the immediate consequences. We need a global shift. So, how do we decolonize plastic? Policy Change: Advocating for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) on a global scale, ensuring industries take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products. Empowerment: Supporting waste management infrastructure in vulnerable regions. Collaboration: Engaging international organizations, governments, and businesses in creating sustainable supply chains. 💡 The way forward requires both leadership and collaboration across industries, policy-makers, and communities. How do you think businesses, governments, and global citizens can work together to reduce the burden on those most affected by plastic waste? Let’s discuss practical solutions to ensure the future of plastic is one of responsibility and sustainability. #PlasticPollution #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #ClimateAction #EnvironmentalJustice #CorporateResponsibility #Leadership

How Do You Define Plastic Pollution? Plastic pollution is often framed as just an environmental issue, but that definition is far too narrow. Look at this image. It reflects how plastic waste is not just litter; it’s a legacy. We are handing down this problem to future generations. Plastic pollution is much more than an environmental problem. It’s a systemic issue rooted in economic, social, and ethical dimensions. The way we frame this issue matters because it dictates the solutions we pursue. Plastic pollution is a market failure, where hidden costs—such as health risks, environmental damage, and the economic burden on marginalized communities—are ignored. The plastics that pollute our environment today will still be here decades, even centuries, from now. This has intergenerational consequences. Future generations are inheriting the problems we create today, and it’s up to us to stop the cycle. Plastic pollution also contributes to climate change, exacerbating a crisis that will hit future generations the hardest. It's time to rethink the way we define plastic pollution and begin to take systemic actions that address these root causes. Let’s broaden our perspective and create solutions that integrate social equity, market reforms, and sustainability, so we leave behind something better than just piles of waste. #Sustainability #PlasticPollution #CircularEconomy #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateChange #IntergenerationalJustice #Recycling

🌍 Green Phenix wins Spronck Stimuleringsprijs at the 4th Plastic Avengers Conference! 🌱 We are proud to announce that Green Phenix has won the prestigious Spronck Stimuleringsprijs during the 4th Plastic Avengers Conference in Leiden, Netherlands. This inspiring event, organized by prominent Dutch activists like Merijn Tinga ~ Plastic Soup Surfer and Dirk Groot ~ Zwerfinator, brought together individuals and organizations committed to tackling plastic pollution. Our winning project stems from a year of in-depth research conducted by our founder, Berdina Cornelia Berendse Berendse, at the Islands and Small State Institute of the University of Malta. The goal? To expand the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system beyond European borders to regions like Curaçao, where waste management infrastructure is limited. By holding producers accountable for the full lifecycle of their products—no matter where they are sold or discarded—Green Phenix aims to address plastic pollution at its source. “Our goal is to create a world where cleanups are no longer necessary,” said Sabine. “This prize allows us to expand our efforts, raise awareness, and advocate for policy changes that benefit vulnerable regions like Curaçao. We are incredibly grateful for this recognition.” While four Green Phenix representatives were present at the conference, our team in Curaçao continued working with Klein College and MPA, participating in the annual World Cleanup. Although cleanups are important, we believe addressing the root causes of plastic pollution is key to creating lasting change and reducing the need for future cleanups. The €2024 prize will be used to support our awareness campaign and to lobby for an effective EPR system across the Dutch Kingdom. This system would not only reduce litter but also ensure that producers are held responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, easing the burden on communities like Curaçao. 💪 #GreenPhenix #PlasticAvengers #Sustainability #Curaçao #SpronckPrize #CircularEconomy #PlasticPollution #EPR #ExtendedProducerResponsibility

We're proud to share that our COO, Tijmen de Vries, had the pleasure of joining the morning show @morubondia to discuss the relaunch of our 'Be A Recycling Hero campaign!' 🎬 This initiative is designed to inspire the community to take action by collecting plastic bottles and aluminum cans, driving positive change in the fight against plastic pollution. Together, we can make Curaçao a cleaner and more sustainable place to live! ♻️ We invite everyone to join the mission—become a recycling hero and make a real impact on our environment. Plus, you’ll have the chance to win some exciting prizes! 🌱🌍 Drop off your collected bottles and cans at Paviljoen Zeelandia, and let’s create a cleaner, greener future for Curaçao. 🌴 #Recycling #BeARecyclingHero #PlasticPollution #CircularEconomy #SustainableDevelopment #GreenPhenix #TogetherWeCan #CuraçaoCleanerFuture

We're very happy to futher strenghten our partnership with Corendon Hotels & Resorts The best impact is made together!

Let's join forces to make a positive impact! At Green Phenix, we believe that the best impact is made together. There are many ways you can partner with us to create meaningful environmental and social change in Curaçao: 🤝 Volunteer for our cleanups and recycling programs. ♻️ Support local recycling by purchasing products made from waste. 👷 Empower our Learn & Work participants by considering them for job openings at your company. 💙 Support our Day Activity Programs, helping those not currently able to hold a steady job. You can easily show your support through a financial donation via Global Giving: https://lnkd.in/gSYhzkWe Let’s make Curaçao even more beautiful—together! 💪

We've just received some exciting news from Merijn Tinga ~ Plastic Soup Surfer! We're proud to share that our latest initiative has been longlisted for the €2024 PAC / SPRONCK prize. Next week, the jury will select the top 3 finalists, and we're looking forward to the Plastic Avengers Conference in Leiden, where the final pitch will take place, and the audience will choose the winner. It's an honor to be part of this alongside Wouter Sjoerdsma, Gooitske Zijlstra, Hans Aalbersberg, Bernard van Diepenbeek, Bertus Dispa, Maarten Erich, Rick Buiten, and Niels Kuin. Regardless of the outcome, this is a great moment to celebrate the commitment to driving sustainable change forward, on a Kingdom level. Let’s keep pushing for a greener future. #sustainability #PlasticAvengers #PAC2024 #greenfuture

What about a Destination Zero Waste?   We are halfway through our current Destination Zero Waste project with the TUI Care Foundation, which is a good opportunity to reflect on the successes achieved since the start in 2023. The aim of the program is to create a circular economy where waste is eliminated and resources are circulated, by looking for innovative and community-driven solutions.   We are proud that the efforts of our amazing team and all our helping friends made that:   ●    We recently celebrated the 50th organization asking us for a pick up of recyclables!   ●    By partnering with local organizations in various sectors of society, we have been able to collect more than 17 tons of plastic waste and more than 6 tons of aluminum.   ●    The weight of collected plastic increased by 80%, from about 4 tons in the first six months of 2023 to about 7 tons in the first six months of 2024. ●    We welcomed more than 2000 unique environmental heroes to our recycling facility, presentations and clean up activities! ●    We retrieved more than 600 KG of marine litter from the shores, in all colors and sizes! It’s with a smile that we are working towards a Destination Zero Waste, although seeing the recurring litter along the roads and in nature can be very frustrating. We look forward to continuing our work for a cleaner Curaçao and a healthier living environment for humans and animals. We are happy to help you discover what your contribution to a more circular island can be!   Thank you TUI Care Foundation for your support!   For more info, visit www.greenphenix.com   #DestinationZeroWaste #TUICareFoundation #CircularEconomy #PlasticPollution #TogetherWeCan

𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑡, 𝑔𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑎𝑡𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒 𝑘𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝐴𝑚𝑖𝑔𝑜𝑒 𝑒𝑛 𝐸𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑎 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐦𝐲 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐍.𝐕. 𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐱 𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐮𝐮𝐫𝐳𝐚𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐤 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐃𝐏𝐄-𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐝, 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐚ç𝐚𝐨 – 𝟓 𝐣𝐮𝐥𝐢 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 – Boutmy Agencies N.V., een distributeur en producent van groene, lokaal vervaardigde professionele onderhouds- en reinigingsproducten, al 70 jaar actief op Curaçao, heeft vandaag een intentieverklaring ondertekend met Green Phenix, een bekende lokale specialist in de circulaire economie en plastic recycling. De intentieverklaring houdt in dat Boutmy Agencies wekelijks HDPE-flessen zal afnemen die door Green Phenix zijn verzameld en gereinigd. Dit markeert Curaçaos eerste grootschalige industriële hergebruikinitiatief. Deze flessen, die op Curaçao vaak als wegwerpplastic worden behandeld, zijn geschikt voor herhaald gebruik (tot wel 6 keer). Door ze te hergebruiken, wordt de import van nieuw plastic voorkomen en vermindert de toename van de afvalberg op het eiland. Dit initiatief ondersteunt de principes van verminderen, hergebruiken en recyclen, waarbij volgens de circulaire afvalbeheerpiramide hergebruik de voorkeur krijgt boven recycling. Dit benadrukt het belang van dit initiatief dat bijdraagt aan een duurzamer Curaçao. Green Phenix is de uitvoerende partij van Destination Zero Waste, een programma van de TUI Care Foundation dat zich richt op het verminderen van afval binnen de toerismesector. Gezien het groot aantal klanten van Boutmy Agencies in de toerismesector, vormt de samenwerking tussen Boutmy Agencies en Green Phenix een nieuwe mijlpaal binnen de doelstelling van Destination Zero Waste. Green Phenix en Boutmy Agencies gaan verder met dit initiatief na een succesvolle proef waarbij honderden flessen werden hergebruikt. Tijdens de ondertekening werden uitleg en demonstraties gegeven over de samenwerking, en werd getoond hoe en waar de flessen worden verwerkt en hergebruikt.   “We hopen dat deze intentieverklaring een baanbrekend voorbeeld zal zijn en andere ondernemers inspireert om soortgelijke initiatieven te ondernemen voor het welzijn van ons fantastische eiland,” zei Clinton Maria, Managing Director van Boutmy Agencies N.V.   De intentieverklaring werd ondertekend door Clinton Maria, Managing Director van Boutmy Agencies N.V., en Tijmen de Vries, Operational Manager van Green Phenix.

Today is Earth Day, with the battle against plastic pollution as this year's focus. We seized this moment to hand the report 'Plastic Pollution Prevention in Curaçao' to Member of Parliament Giselle Mc William, the initiator of the Plastic Law that was recently unanimously adopted by the Parliament. Adoption by the Parliament doesn't mean that the law is being implemented. How does this process work? There is a lot to learn, monitor end to be created. Green Phenix and Platform Future Islands are committed to engage you in this journey, as we will inform and inspire you to make sure we become the cleanest island in the region! Stay tuned and in the mean time see how you can reduce your consumption of plastic. We must treat every day as if it were Earth Day