Community scientists (citizen scientists) have contributed substantially to our understanding of the global plastic pollution crisis, for example, by collating litter data during beach clean ups, by using dedicated smartphone apps or by taking microplastic samples of aquatic environments. These data are especially valuable for long-term monitoring as other data sources remain scarce. In this lecture, Dr. Tim Kiessling will reflect on how these findings can be made relevant for policy making. He will discuss the quality of datasets collected by volunteers, as well as data harmonisation to compare insights across protocols. Finally, Dr. Kiessling will present a vision for meaningful involvement of community scientists in plastic pollution legislation, exemplified by a proposition for the European Water Framework Directive.
