Influencer Curaçao Clean Up Foundation

Iterview February 2024

“It’s not waste until it’s wasted”

Discover the foundation’s journey in combating ‘trash blindness’ and the critical need for increased waste awareness.

Myrthe George-Verhulst sparkles ideas and innovation. It’s in her eyes, smile, and determination. Myrthe is determined to make a difference in Curaçao with the biggest challenge the entire world is facing: how to deal with our waste in a responsible way and decrease the amount of waste by recycling as many waste streams as possible.

Myrthe, who are the members of Curaçao Clean Up?
Our team consists of five power women: Corinne Senior-Van Hal, Sharo Bikker, Lisandra Martis, Jenny Ignacio, and myself.

What is your BIG WHY or what’s your mission/vision?
The foundation Curaçao Clean Up (CCU) was founded eleven years ago. Its goal is to stimulate the involvement of the whole society and create awareness of the importance of a clean Curaçao and, equally important, maintaining Curaçao clean. By encouraging compliance with the law and promoting knowledge on waste management, the whole population will be encouraged, to become a watchdog which will ultimately lead to a clean Curaçao. Our motto has always been: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. We see ourselves as bridgebuilders with different stakeholders varying from volunteers, NGO’s, companies, and government.

Our first step was to decrease ‘trash blindness’ in Curaçao. Most people are so used to litter, they don’t even see it anymore! By organizing a yearly nationwide event, we have inspired people to look around in their neighborhoods and on the sides of our roads. This made people aware of the problem and this is according to us the only way to get people into action. I remember a cleanup I did myself in 2010 near the shore. The whole morning, I have been picking small pieces of foam hidden underneath the sand. The further I dug, the more foam I noticed. This made me aware of all the foam containers we casually use for our take-out food. It was a huge eye-opener for me when I learned that it will take about 1.000 years before nature can dissolve this container we only use for a very short moment.

Collaboration and sharing information is very important. We recently joined forces with Club 17. They focus on actively looking for collaborations in Curaçao related to those that actively focus on one or more of the 17 Strategic Development Goals. All CCU board members have a wide network we love to share this with people who are on the same mission as we do. And perhaps you sometimes have to be a little bit crazy to do this voluntary work for the foundation. We are now working 24/7 on an E-learn. A sustainable educational program for teenagers to create awareness about waste, and recycling and aiming to empower them to take action and to join us in our mission for a clean Curaçao.

What are your challenges?
My biggest challenge is “patience”! It must have been in 2015 when we were doing this yearly event for a few years and we didn’t see any change at all. Curaçao seemed dirtier than ever and I felt this would never change for the better. But luckily someone said the wise words: ”It takes a generation”. Fast-forwarding to our last nationwide CleanUp last September, we really had to look for places where we could place our volunteers! Many locations that have always been our ‘usual suspects’ are now clean. Trash loves company: if a location is clean, it creates a psychological barrier for people to throw garbage there again. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. When a place is dirty, people see this as an opportunity to dump their trash. However, the good news is: that we see improvement, we see an increased awareness, we see change!

During speeches at school, we talk with kids about how uncool it is to trash your world. And some kids freely admit how they get rid of their waste ‘whenever it suits them’. We are not judging, but trying to inspire kids to change their habits. We believe this positive approach -in all our external communications- has a more lasting effect than ‘blaming and shaming’.

We are now in the process of developing awareness in Curaçao to not only talk about a responsible way to dispose of your waste but also about reducing the amount of trash that goes to our landfill. According to Selikor, in 2033 our landfill will not have any space to process our waste. So, we need to change our habits now and start to rethink how we deal with the waste we create and how we can implement the 4Rs in our life: we need to Refuse, Reuse, Renew, and Recycle. The last one, recycling, is our new mission and priority at this moment. Our motto now is: “It is not waste until it is wasted!”. There are so many materials that can be recycled!

*From left to right: Corinne, Sharo, Lisandra and Myrthe.*
*Missing on the picture: Jenny*.

Our foundation, with the assistance of the Curaçao Tourism Board and The Coca-Cola Foundation, just opened our very own recycling center at the Bon Bini Supermarket. And the great news is: the collection rate of this center is above expectations! Although it took a while for us to realize this center, it brings us so much satisfaction to see the area of Brievengat has embraced this center!

Other challenges?
Laughing: All board members are very ambitious, so we have set some challenging goals for ourselves. Like the E-learn I mentioned earlier. This educational program is a sustainable way to develop a curriculum combined with a “train-the-trainer”- program. Once in place, it only requires “press play” to access the content. It is easily accessible and you could use it endlessly. It is easy to scale up the number of users once it is developed.

These are all positive challenges Myrthe. What was a defining moment?
That must have been when we were sitting on a lazy picnic bench twelve years ago. We were complaining about how dirty our island was and what the Government should do. But then we got this epiphany: why not -instead of complaining- start doing something about this problem ourselves? And…so we did. This was a very empowering moment and I love to remind people about it when they are complaining about situations: be the change you want to see in the world!

Where do you want to be 5 years from now?
That single-use plastic was banned 5 years ago.

What would your loved Ones say of Clean Up 20 years from now?
I hope they would say ‘Do you remember way back when people were littering and creating so much more waste than was necessary?’ We would laugh out loud about our ignorance in the past and brainstorm about the latest invention to clean up the mess we all have created in the past and celebrate the progress that has been made to honor our nature and give it the humble attention and gratitude it deserves!

Are you optimistic about the future of Curaçao and why?
Yes! When you look back on when we launched our foundation we see how so many amazing volunteers, NGOs, and businesses are now doing their part. We have confidence our government will soon take some big steps to stop the widespread of illegal dumpsites, finalize the ban on single-use plastics, do their part to educate their people, facilitate recycling for everyone, and so on. We have now reached a defining moment, we are at a crossroad and we now have to choose which direction we all go and that we all take our responsibility.

*Caribbean Change Award 5.0 for Clean Up Curaçao and The Kunuku Man*

What is your opinion on the Caribbean Award 5.0 that was offered to Curaçao Clean Up? Does it energize you?
It is a great honor to be mentioned in the list of former winners of this award like Kaya Kaya, Ride for the Roses, and Fundashon Bon Intenshon.

Contact info: Curaçao Clean Up | Facebook 

One of the 250 Influencers

Curaçao Clean Up (CCU) is a foundation that is dedicated to cleaning up the island. The foundation, which is chaired by Myrthe Verhulst, includes Sharo Bikker as the secretary, Corinne Senior-Van Hal as the treasurer, and fellow board members Lisandra Martis and Jenny Ignacio. The foundation was established 11 years ago to take action to clean up the island -instead of merely complaining from the sidelines. That was a defining moment. Over the years, CCU has made significant progress, both in raising awareness about the issue of waste disposal and facilitating and organizing cleanups. Evolving from cleanups to awareness and a focus on recycling nowadays. The numbers reflect the impact of their efforts, including a growth in active participants from 2000 up to 26,900 with hundreds of clean-up locations and with a stunning 3,6 million kilos of litter removed from nature and other parts of Curaçao. And although the road wasn’t always easy, they have helped create noticeable progress. One notable aspect of their work is their willingness to collaborate, with the most recent collaboration being with Club 17. Their dedication and positive impact on the island were recognized through the Caribbean Award 5.0, where they, along with Kunuku Man, were honored for their unwavering commitment to positive change, embodying principles of cleanliness, orderliness, and purity in various aspects. Curaçao Clean Up is considered an influential force in the “Environmental Sector” of the island, and their work has contributed significantly to the upliftment of Curaçao. The foundation is surely recognized as an influencer through its tireless efforts in promoting positive environmental change.  Look at the list of the Influencers we have interviewed or reported on, up to now.

*From left tot right: Michael de Jongh*, *Corinne Senior-Van Hal, Ivan Kuster, Kunuku Man, Myrthe George-Verhulst, Miguel Goede and Els Steenhagen.*

As an extra honorary note we would like to share the following:  
On the 15th of December 2023 Caribbean Change Award 5.0 honored The Kunuku Man together with Clean Up Curaçao during a zoom Year end session. On the 24^th of January 2024 there was a special live event where both winners were invited and Miguel Goede and Els Steenhagen addressed the winners.

Here is the award and the reasons why the Kunuku Man was honored:

“In Recognition of Exemplary Commitment to the Elevation of Curaçao to Society 5.0”

This award is presented to Curaçao Clean Up and Kunuku Man for their unwavering dedication to initiating positive change on the island. Embodying the principles of cleanliness, orderliness, and purity in every facet—be it physical, moral, or spiritual—their tireless efforts have significantly contributed to the upliftment of Curaçao.
Through consistent advocacy and periodic island-wide cleaning initiatives, Curaçao Clean Up has been instrumental in shaping a vision where the elevation of Curaçao begins with pristine surroundings.
Furthermore, we commend the outstanding efforts of Kunuku Man, whose actions transcend rhetoric. His weekly commitment to cleaning various parts of the island serves as a powerful testament to the belief that actions indeed speak louder than words.
May this award serve as a token of appreciation for the positive impact Curaçao Clean Up and Kunuku Man have made in fostering a cleaner, more harmonious Curaçao.
December 15, 2023

Nominees Caribbean Change Award 2023

Curaçao Clean Up
Clean Up Curaçao is nominated for consistently embodying the vision that a clean island is the foundation for its prosperity, demonstrating unwavering dedication to maintaining a pristine environment.

Little League
Little League earns the nomination for consistently showcasing Curaçao as a talent factory, particularly in the realm of baseball, contributing significantly to the island’s sports reputation.

Kunuku Man
Kununku Man is nominated for consistently exemplifying the transformative power of action over mere talk, making tangible changes in the world through proactive efforts.

Didi Deeds Foundation
The Didi Deeds Foundation is nominated for giving back to the talent factory that is Curacao, of which Didi himself is a product, highlighting a commitment to nurturing and supporting local talent.

Team Multidisiplinario MEO
Team Multidisciplinario MEO is nominated for consistently enforcing cleanliness and health standards across all economic sectors, contributing to the well-being of the community.

Curaçao Tourist Board
The Curaçao Tourist Board is nominated for guiding the tourism sector to outstanding performance, breaking records in 2023 and contributing significantly to the island’s economic success.

Komishon despensa pa sklabitut
The Komishon despensa pa sklabitut is nominated for enabling the healing from the past of slavery, contributing to the reconciliation, and addressing historical injustices on the island”.

This announcement was send to us by Miguel Goede Curaçao 5.0

The goal of the core group of Share2Uplift for 2024

The goal of the Share2Uplift movement is to: “Identify 250 leaders from all walks of life to connect, align and create impactful changes in all walks of life, which includes intergenerational collaboration by the end of 2024.” We will use interviewing Influencers, meet-and-greet events, “train-the-trainers”-programs on “Emotional Mastery” and “Intentionality “as national intervention strategies, to reach this goal on top of our goal to scale up the possibilities to connect, align and create impact via a virtual platform. We believe that by collaborating with Miguel Goede on the virtual Vision 2030 platform, we will accelerate the possibilities to connect the diaspora and others elsewhere in the world and on the island willing to constructively create impactful changes in Curaçao, to join.

As Share2Uplift, we are fully trying to align with this thinking of Center for Curriculum Redesign to promote this agenda in our educational systems and workplace. So, in that sense, we fully support any initiative to make our educational system 21st-century proof.

Share2Uplift aligners are those that:
– Create an inspiring vision of the future;
– Motivate and inspire people to engage with that vision;
– Manage the delivery of the vision;
– Coach and build a team, so that it is more effective at achieving the vision. These criteria are now being polished.

We also consider these 5 values the most important ones for Share2Uplift aligners. They are:

• Peace from within;
• Compassion;
• Respectfulness;
• Integrity;
• Responsibility.

As we will progress towards this goal, we will update you on the progress.