When you think of the Dutch what comes to mind? For me, since I don’t know a whole lot about them it’s clogs (a type of shoe) and that weird guy from “Austin Powers: Goldmember.” And, it seems that many others associate them with weird traditions and funny quirks. So when I heard about a new Dutch craze called Tegelwippen, I had to know more.
The Dutch phrase tegelwippen is not something you come across every day, and its literal translation to English may even seem unusual – it translates to “tile wiping.” However, in the specific context of this, it refers to the act of getting rid of tiles. Not just any tiles, mind you, but the tiles used to cover the yards in most homes across Dutch cities.
These tiles are typically used to construct a patio. The concept is a practical one, as it makes lawn maintenance quite effortless. The only real task homeowners find themselves faced with is pulling out the occasional weed that sprouts up from between the tiles. Despite this convenience, there has been a recent shift in the Dutch way of thinking, led by a man named Remco Moen Marcar.
Remco Moen Marcar is the figurehead of a new campaign that encourages people to remove these tiles from their patios. Instead of a tiled patio, he advocates for the planting of trees and other greenery. The idea behind this movement is multifold, it aims to cool down the city, improve the drainage systems, and actively combat the effects of climate change. And as with any good campaign, there’s a unique strategy involved to spur participation.
This strategy comes in the form of a competition. This isn’t just any competition, but a nationwide contest known as the NK Tegelwippen. Starting about a month ago and slated to continue through to October, the competition seeks to uncover which town in the Netherlands can get rid of the most tiles from their private land. The measurement used is the number of tiles removed per thousand residents.
Early adopters who’ve already taken on the challenge of replacing their tiled patios with green patches have reported a significant improvement in their outdoor experience. Their gardens are cooler and much more welcoming, thanks to the shade provided by the newly planted trees.
The town that currently leads this unique contest is Venlo. They have successfully removed an impressive 144 tiles per thousand residents, amounting to a total of 14,636 tiles.
But what happens to the tiles once they’ve been removed from the yards? The sponsors of the NK Tegelwippen contest have made arrangements to collect and dispose of the tiles. They have found a sustainable solution to this, choosing to recycle the tiles into materials that can be used in building construction. This way, nothing goes to waste, and the benefits of the campaign are further amplified.
