Nieuws
101 corks during New Years' canal clean-up
In keeping with tradition, after the New Year, Stichting De Grachtwacht announces the number of corks fished out of the canal during the New Years' clean-up. This year, a team of five volunteers braved the cold in canoes and collected a total of 101 corks in and around the canal.
For years, the number of corks around the New Year has remained stable at around 100. While there were exactly 99 on 1 January 2023, a total of 105 were found in 2024. The record remains at 115 corks at the beginning of 2022. At the beginning of 2025, the team was unable to safely go out on the water due to stormy weather and gusts of wind, so there was no data. The clean-up then took place on foot through the city.
‘Counting corks is always a bit of a joke,’ explains coordinator Auke-Florian Hiemstra. ‘By looking at the floating debris, we try to read the tea leaves: is Leiden looking forward to the new year? Was it celebrated exuberantly? But of course, we would prefer to see a New Year's Eve without litter. It is possible to celebrate without polluting.’
‘The volunteers cheered when we counted just over 100,’ says coordinator Liselotte Rambonnet. ‘When we got stuck at 99 a few years ago, it was a shame. Every cork counts.’
Whereas in previous years illegal fireworks were found in the canal, fortunately this was not the case this year. Unexploded cobras can become unstable in water and had to be removed by the police for several years. This was the reason why participants received a more extensive safety briefing in advance, and only more experienced volunteers were allowed to participate on this day.
In addition to the corks and dozens of champagne bottles, other notable finds included a fraternity jacket belonging to someone named “Fleur”, a birthday card that still plays music, and a kickboard. ‘People always ask about the craziest thing you find, but actually, the craziest thing is that we find bags full of stuff every week,’ says Liselotte. ‘Every week it happens again, every week we are needed,’ adds Auke-Florian.
As after every clean-up, the “find of the week” can be admired in the windows of the bridge house on the Marebrug. This week, it is the 101 corks that were fished out.
Press photos may be used with the credit “Stichting De Grachtwacht”: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/12RCE0ULLRDljc6gKIFCipyIfdwhjWn-2