ROTTERDAM, 28 September 2025 – Neighbourhood hubs across the city opened their doors for Burendag. From workshops to local awards, residents came together.

Residents connect across the city

On Saturday 27 September, Rotterdam marked Burendag with events in every neighbourhood hub. From 10.00 to 14.00, residents could join creative workshops, play games and meet their local neighbourhood council. Each hub offered its own activities, including the festive presentation of a volunteer award and a warm welcome for new neighbours.

Alderman Robert Simons visited three neighbourhood hubs to speak with residents and hear what issues are most pressing in their areas.

Neighbourhood hubs at the heart of the community

Burendag once again highlighted the role of neighbourhood hubs as accessible spaces where residents can go with questions, ideas or concerns.

“It is inspiring to see so many Rotterdammers coming to the hubs during Burendag,” said alderman Simons. “You can walk in here with anything on your mind – or simply for a cup of coffee and a chat with your neighbours. I am proud of everyone who contributes to our neighbourhoods and grateful to all residents who made this day such a success.”

A nationwide initiative

Burendag is a yearly event celebrated across the Netherlands on the last Saturday of September. It is intended to strengthen social ties between neighbours and to encourage people to contribute to their local community. In Rotterdam, the tradition has become closely linked with the city’s network of neighbourhood hubs, which provide a physical space for residents to meet and seek support.

Campaign to raise awareness

This year, Burendag also marked the start of a citywide campaign to increase awareness of neighbourhood hubs. The campaign will gradually roll out through outdoor advertising and social media, introducing more residents to the hubs as central meeting places and points of contact in their communities.

ROTTERDAM, 19 September 2025 – Recycling platform Droppie has opened its first Rotterdam location on Eudokiaplein. The company marks the milestone of its tenth branch in one year and celebrates a cleaner stream of plastics suitable for high-quality recycling.

Cleaner plastics for better recycling

Droppie’s collection system is designed to keep plastics “shake and scrape clean” before drop-off. According to independent research by Wageningen University & Research, the plastic collected through Droppie is significantly cleaner and drier than regular PMD waste. This higher quality makes it possible to recycle more material into new products, including food packaging.

The choice of Eudokiaplein is deliberate: an area where litter and waste problems are visible. By placing a recycling point here, residents are encouraged to separate their plastics and cans, with the added option to deposit even flattened cans. The initiative aims to improve both recycling quality and neighbourhood liveability.

Rotterdam welcomes Droppie recycling point on Eudokiaplein

Figures from one year of operation

Since launching, Droppie has recorded:

• 30,000 active users
• 110,000 drop-offs
• €500,000 paid out (including deposits)
• 150,000 kg of material collected (excluding deposit items)
• 3 million bottles and cans collected under the Dutch deposit system

Through the Droppie app, users receive a small financial reward for every drop, which they can keep or donate to charity. This incentive is designed to encourage consistent, high-quality recycling.

City support and company vision

Rotterdam alderman Chantal Zeegers welcomed the initiative:

“Rotterdam goes all-in for the circular economy of the future. Resources are too valuable to throw away: keeping them clean and reusing them is the key. With Droppie, residents can easily hand in materials in a clean way while earning a reward. That this point is located at Eudokiaplein, in a neighbourhood where waste often ends up on the street, shows how circular innovations can immediately improve liveability.”

Droppie co-founder Natascha Hermsen underlined the broader impact:

“By rewarding people and giving clear instructions, we collect the cleanest plastics in the Netherlands. This shows that recycling works if you organise it properly. Our system proves that consumers are willing to contribute when the process is simple, transparent and rewarding.”

Rotterdam welcomes Droppie recycling point on Eudokiaplein

Opening day promotion

To celebrate the new Rotterdam location, everyone who drops off recyclable items on opening day not only receives the usual reward but also stands a chance to win a “superdrop” worth €500 in cash.

Practical information

• Location: Eudokiaplein, Rotterdam
• App: Droppie app required for rewards
• Opening date: 19 September 2025
• More info: Droppie Rotterdam

Location and directions

Droppie Rotterdam is located on Eudokiaplein, north of the city centre. The site is accessible by tram and metro via Blijdorp station and is within cycling distance of most central neighbourhoods.

ROTTERDAM, 26 September 2025 – A Schiebroek resident has spent eight years running a weekly food hand-out for households who do not qualify for the food bank. On Thursday, the city recognised her work with a €500 cheque.

Every Saturday, Loes Zwarts fills around 45 shopping bags for local families, providing an extra buffer for the week. The volunteer effort targets those who miss official thresholds but still struggle to make ends meet.

A weekly food distribution point

On Saturday afternoons, the front garden becomes a small distribution point. Crates of vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes and spinach sit alongside dry goods ranging from pasta to breakfast items. From 17:00, people drop by to fill a bag.

The hand-out is intended for residents who cannot access the food bank. “This way they still have enough food for the whole week,” Zwarts explained.

How it works

Eligible households are often referred by local organisations such as Dock. After joining Loes’s Facebook group, people book a timeslot to avoid queues and ensure orderly pick-ups.

Zwarts began the initiative eight years ago with help from her husband. What started with six visitors a week has grown to 45, reflecting the reality that poverty exists in Schiebroek too.

Community support and holidays

Families make up a large share of visitors, but younger and older residents also attend; ages range from the 20s to the 80s. Bag size scales with household size to keep the system fair, and the hand-out is framed as a supplement to regular shopping.

Part of the food comes from local businesses. On Saturdays, Klootwijk bakery donates fresh bread; in summer, growers provide tomatoes and peppers. The rest is bought in supermarkets with attention to offers; alcohol is not purchased.

City recognition and how to nominate

During Sinterklaas and Christmas, small extras are added so children can join conversations at school about gifts and festivities. Basic items such as pasta, rice, canned vegetables and chicken form the core of the holiday parcels. Most costs are paid out of Zwarts’s own pocket. “A simple ‘thank you’ is enough. If we did not do this, many people would go hungry,” she said.

Alderman Abigail Norville (Poverty Reduction and Debt Assistance) visited on Thursday 25 September to present a €500 cheque. Zwarts is the seventh recipient under the Samen Sterk tegen Armoede en Schulden initiative, which highlights residents who support neighbours living with money worries. The city invites nominations for future acknowledgements via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ROTTERDAM, 5 September 2025 – The 48th edition of World Port Days opened on Friday morning with a focus on youth and innovation. Highlights included the arrival of a new naval vessel, drone and foilboat demonstrations, and a lively opening day on the Wilhelminapier.

Innovation quay marks official opening

On Friday morning, the final preparations were still underway at the Koninginnenhoofd on the Wilhelminapier. By 10:00 AM, visitors were welcomed by World Port Days director Sabine Bruijnincx, who guided a large delegation along the Innovation Quay (Innovatiekade).

The quay brought together both history and future technologies from the port of Rotterdam, featuring drones, autonomous vehicles and even a historic grain elevator from 1924. Among the guests were mayor Carola Schouten, Port of Rotterdam CEO Boudewijn Siemons, and marine corps commander Ivo Moerman. More than 200 students from Rotterdam schools also toured the pavilions of the European Commission and the Port of Rotterdam.

Meanwhile, the Royal Netherlands Navy’s newest vessel, the Den Helder, docked at the Holland Amerikakade. Shortly afterwards the sun broke through, marking the start of a day filled with maritime activity both on the quayside and on the water.

Focus on young people

The first day of World Port Days traditionally centres on youth, and 2025 was no exception. Around 1,500 students attended the MATCH career event, where they explored opportunities with around 50 maritime companies. This year also saw jobseekers from outside the youth bracket and international students taking part, including one participant who travelled from Spain to find work in Rotterdam’s harbour.

At the same time, the World Port Days Hackathon was held at the Plein in the new FENIX migration museum. A record 350 pupils and students worked on creative solutions to pressing port issues. The winning teams will join the sailing ship Oosterschelde during Saturday’s evening show. The vessel recently retraced Charles Darwin’s journey, with young researchers on board studying environmental topics along the way.

Shows on water and in the air

Visitors were also drawn to activities on the water and above the city. Demonstrations included drone displays and The Icon, a foiling yacht. In the Rijnhaven, the Dutch skateboarding championships featured a floating ramp, while the Holland Amerikakade tribune filled with spectators watching demonstrations such as “De Werkers van de Haven,” an emergency exercise, and naval shows.

The day closed with a Friday afternoon gathering at the Food Festival Square, where young hip hop artists from Stichting Levels and DJ Michael Mae performed. With the first day completed, the city now looks forward to a weekend of excursions, ship parades, and the traditional Saturday evening show with fireworks.

Practical information

For the full programme and visitor information, see wereldhavendagen.nl.

Location and directions

The central activities are located around the Wilhelminapier, including the Koninginnenhoofd and Holland Amerikakade. This area lies directly across from the Erasmus Bridge and is easily accessible via metro station Wilhelminaplein, tram lines, or by bicycle.