• Date: 13-11-2025
• Time of: 19.30
• Time to: 20.30
• Intro text: Swapping toys instead of buying them: a smart choice for St Nicholas. Give toys a new life during the swap market on 13 November.
• Municipality: Hardinxveld-Giessendam
• Street and house number: Pietersweer 34
• Place: Hardinxveld-Giessendam
• Location: Library AanZet

With Sinterklaas in sight, we are organising the Sinterklaas Toy Exchange on Thursday 13 November together with AanZet Library in Hardinxveld-Giessendam. A great opportunity to give new life to unused toys and to celebrate Saint Nicholas in an environmentally friendly and inexpensive way.

With this toy exchange market, we will make the Sinterklaas party not only inexpensive, but also more sustainable. In many households, many toys remain unused while still in good condition. By swapping these toys, other children can be made happy and fewer new items need to be bought. This reduces waste, packaging, the use of new raw materials, time and purchasing stress.

How does it work?

Only neat, complete and clean toys will be taken in. This way, everyone can take something nice home. Hand in still good and usable toys during one of the drop-off times and look for other toys during the swap market.

You can hand in good, clean and complete toys at Bbliotheek AanZet in Hardinxveld-Giessendam:

• Monday 10 November (1 pm - 5 pm) 

• Tuesday 11 November  (09.30 - 17.00) 

• Wednesday 12 November  (09.30 - 17.00) 

• Thursday 13 November (5pm-7pm)

Please note that books and soft toys will not be accepted or exchanged.

For each toy handed in, you will receive vouchers. With these, you can pick out other toys during the swap party on 13 November, from 19:30 to 20:30. Even if you only want to donate without swapping, you are welcome.

Together for less waste 

Our environment coach Nelleke Gouw, explains: "By exchanging good toys, fewer new items need to be bought. This prevents waste and packaging and saves resources. This creates space in the house ánd we celebrate a greener Saint Nicholas party together."

A celebration of sharing

Leftover toys go to the toy bank. This way, every toy gets a new destination and together we make as many children as possible happy with a nice Saint Nicholas present.

• Date: 08-11-2025
• Time of: 11:00
• Time to: 13:00
• Intro text: Help clean up the River Linge during the Canal Cleanup - clean water starts with ourselves
• Municipality: Rivers Region

On Saturday 8 November it's time for the Canal Cleanup along the Linge. Join in and help clean up the river from litter! Sustainable Innovation Foundation is organising this major cleanup action together with Recycle Valley, the municipalities of Gorinchem and West Betuwe, Waterschap Rivierenland and the Rivierenland Fund.

From Gorinchem to Doornenburg, dozens of volunteers help to clear plastic, cans and other litter from and along the river.
The whole route is 100 kilometres long and divided into short routes of 2 to 4 kilometres. So everyone can participate: young and old, alone or with the whole family. In less than two hours, you can already make a difference!

The Canal Cleanup is part of a larger, nationwide initiative called from the Dunes to Germany. The goal is clear: together, ensure cleaner rivers and less damage to nature, animals and water. A lot of waste still ends up in water every year. Together, we can change that!

Sign up here to and join in!

• Date: 05-11-2025
• Time of: 09:00
• Time to: 11:00
• Intro text: Meet our environmental coach at the mobile environmental street in Leerdam and ask your questions about separating less waste and raw materials.
• Municipality: Vijfheerenlanden
• Street and house number: Europaplein car park (near the bandstand and supermarket PLUS)
• Place: Leerdam

Do you have questions about how to reduce waste at home, sort raw materials properly or offer them separately? Feel free to ask our environmental coach Nelleke. You can meet her at various locations in the region. She is present at the mobile waste recycling centre in Leerdam.

• Date: 04-10-2025
• Time of: 09:00
• Time to: 14:00
• Intro text: Join De Cirkel thrift shop on 4 October for a festive day of fun activities, treats and great bargains!
• Municipality: Hardinxveld-Giessendam
• Place: Hardinxveld-Giessendam
• Location: Circle shop De Cirkel

Saturday 4 October is once again the National Recycling Day at Kringloop De Cirkel. Inside, a shop full of great bargains awaits you, as well as coffee and sweets. There will be lemonade for the children and they can dig for free in the grab bag. The residents of De Buitenhof, together with our volunteers, bake delicious sandwiches and burgers. And for the lovers, we scoop ice creams from the ice cream bike.

As every year, the day's proceeds go to a charity. This time it is De Buitenhof in Hardinxveld. Together, we hope to hand over a wonderful cheque.

In short: it promises to be a pleasant day full of music, treats and bargains. We are looking forward to it, are you?

• Date: 04-10-2025
• Time of: 10.00
• Time to: 16.00
• Intro text: Visit thrift shop Woord en Daad in Gorinchem during National Thrift Day and receive a surprise voucher upon entering the shop.
• Street and house number: Melkpad 7-9
• Place: Gorinchem
• Location: Recycling shop Woord en Daad Gorinchem

Join us on Saturday 4 October: Thrift shop Woord en Daad Gorinchem celebrates National Thrift Day and cordially invites you.

Bargains and fun at Woord en Daad

• Upon entry, you will immediately receive a surprise voucher.
• A shop full of bargains awaits inside and outside on the square you will enjoy the cosy "Les Saveurs de Metropole" market.

• Date: 04-10-2025
• Time of: 10.00
• Time to: 17.30
• Intro text: Visit Opnieuw & Co Leerdam during National Recycling Day: enjoy tours and activities!
• Place: Leerdam
• Location: Again & Co

Saturday 4 October is once again the National Recycling Day at Opnieuw & Co. You are welcome between 10.00 and 17.30 for a day full of fun activities.

At 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., you can take part in guided tours where you will get a unique behind-the-scenes look. Discover how your stuff gets a second life and learn all about the sorting process. There will also be a pet fair with items for your animal friend and there is a lucky draw for the children. 

Besides activities, there are also great promotions: puzzles and games are 2 get = 1 pay, a corner with everything for €1. And do you buy an outfit of €15 or more? Then you get to pick a matching scarf.

Come along and celebrate with us how valuable recycling can be!

• Date: 04-10-2025
• Time of: 9.00
• Time to: 17.00
• Intro text: Visit Kringloopwinkel Gorinchem during the Nationale Kringloopdag and find great stuff together, a whole box full for €10.00!
• Street and house number: Boezem 1
• Place: Gorinchem
• Location: Recycling shop Gorinchem

Box filling for € 10.00

The success number from past years is here again: you can once again fill a banana box for just €10! This year we have made the promotion even more fun. The upper floor is closed but on the lower floor you will find carefully saved, beautiful items to choose from. You will be given an empty banana box and can fill it with anything you find in the shop - as long as the lid can be closed! Tip: Bring your own bags and boxes to carry your purchased items from the banana box. 

A full box costs €10.00. Larger items that do not fit in the box can be paid for separately. Extra nice: this year, all clothing also participates in the box action!

Great Outdoor Market

For larger items, there will be a cosy market outside with attractive prices. There will also be a special plastic market where you can buy sustainable plastic for 0.50 cents to encourage re-use.

Delicious snacks and drinks

Inside, you can enjoy delicious snacks and coffee, tea or lemonade. Come along and have a great day!

• Date: 02-10-2025
• Time of: 13:00
• Time to: 14:30
• Intro text: Meet our environmental coach at the senior citizens' fair at De Wielewaal sports hall at Hardinxveld-Giessendam and ask all your questions about separating less waste and raw materials.
• Municipality: Hardinxveld-Giessendam
• Street and house number: De Wielewaal sports hall
• Place: Hardinxveld-Giessendam

Do you have questions about how to reduce waste at home, sort raw materials properly or offer them separately? Feel free to ask our environmental coach Nelleke. You can meet her at various locations around the region. She will be present at the senior citizens' fair in sports hall De Wielewaal at Hardinxveld-Giessendam.

• Date: 04-10-2025
• Time of: 10:00
• Time to: 14:00
• Intro text: Meet our environmental coach during National Recycling Day at the Les Saveurs de Metropole regional market in Gorinchem and ask your questions about separating less waste and raw materials.
• Municipality: Gorinchem
• Street and house number: Milky Way
• Place: Gorinchem

Do you have questions about how to reduce waste at home, sort raw materials properly or offer them separately? Feel free to ask our environmental coach Nelleke. You can meet her at various locations around the region. She will be present during National Recycling Day at the regional market  'Les Saveurs de Metropole' in Gorinchem

• Date: 20-09-2025
• Time of: 11:00
• Time to: 14:00
• Intro text: Meet our environmental coaches in downtown Gorinchem and ask them your questions about separating less waste and raw materials.
• Municipality: Gorinchem
• Place: Gorinchem

Do you have questions about how to reduce waste at home, sort raw materials properly or separate them? Feel free to ask our environmental coaches Ingrid and Nelleke. You can meet them at various locations around the region. They will be present during the World Clean Up Day in downtown Gorinchem.