In light of the United Nations' first ever International Day of Zero Waste, we're higlighting a social enterprise initiative tackling plastic pollution in Africa. This is part of the podcast series: Entrepreneurial Journeys. 

Spring has arrived. And what better time than now to admire the flowers adorning the Dutch landscape. Our flower-growing region also flourishes with daffodils, hyacinths, lilies…and the national symbol: the tulips.

We spoke with Ynse Hendrik Deinema, the CEO of Roboat, which is a Dutch company working on self-driving technology to transform urban waterways.

We spoke with Marjan van Aubel a Dutch designer and researcher specialising in creating sustainable products and materials that integrate solar energy into daily life.

Since the Paris Climate Agreement, it has become increasingly clear that the way forward towards achieving a successful clean energy transition depends more and more on greater collaboration between government and private sector organisations – public-private-partnerships (PPPs). That's why two online investment platforms, Ethex and Lendahand, have joined forces to provide UK-based retail investors with investment opportunities, significantly improving off-grid energy access for families in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Many exporting countries choose the Netherlands as one of the gateways into and out of Europe and the rest of the world – by road, air and sea. Although these modes of transportation create a significant amount of CO2 gasses, rail has become a sustainable alternative for cargo transport. Almost 85% of all rail freight in the Netherlands is international. And a further 2 direct cargo rail links to China were added recently.

Plastics are becoming a major threat to the environment. They are clogging up our waterways and threaten our health. Searious Business helps major brands and retailers to make their use of plastic more sustainable, focussing on packaging, furniture and consumer electronics. The consultancy advises on how to avoid creating plastic waste by introducing alternatives, reusing components or making sure plastics are effectively recycled. Listen to the podcast on this sustainable start up.