At the beginning of July 2025, we traded our laptops for sturdy boots and work gloves. This year's everwave team week was unlike any before.
Working Directly at Our Cleanup Site
At everwave, our team works remotely from different parts of Germany, which means that much of our daily collaboration takes place online. That is why our annual team week is always a highlight on the calendar. This year, however, it was something truly special.
Just a few months after the opening of our long-term cleanup site in Kukës, Albania, it was time for us to pack our boots and head south.
Alongside strategic workshops and planning sessions for the years ahead, we focused on experiencing our operations firsthand. The agenda included a cleanup at the Ishëm Delta, a visit to the Circular Economy Park near Tirana, a tour of our waste collection boat, and hands-on work sorting and compacting waste at our Zero-Waste Center in Kukës.
For one week, we swapped laptops for gloves and got to work.
“Getting involved on the ground once again showed us how important our work is and that every single Plastic Credit truly makes a difference.”
Circular Economy Park and Cleanup at the Ishëm Delta
Our week began with a visit to the Circular Economy Park, which was opened by our local project partner and site manager, Lulzim Baumann, in early 2025.
Located near Tirana, the park showcases various aspects of waste management and recycling through a range of educational and practical initiatives. The integrated Education Center raises awareness and provides space for workshops and retreats, the Circular Marketplace offers second-hand products, and the recycling facility collects, sorts, and prepares waste for further processing.
The visit was followed by a cleanup at the Ishëm Delta, where Albania’s most polluted river flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
We had all seen the photos and videos before, but standing there in person was an entirely different experience. The shoreline is covered with plastic waste and discarded bottles as far as the eye can see. Walking along the beach is only possible over layers of litter, and the sound of plastic crunching beneath your feet is something that stays with you.
“You can only truly understand the situation in the countries where we work when you're standing beside a river, surrounded by waste. Our team week was incredibly eye-opening and motivated me even more to fight for clean waterways around the world.”
Waste Collection Boat and Zero-Waste Center in Kukës
The following two days took us to northern Albania, where we visited Lake Fierza and our operations in Kukës.
One of the highlights of the week was seeing one of our cleanup boats in action. The waste collected on Lake Fierza is transported to our Zero-Waste Center in Kukës, where it is sorted and prepared for further processing.
Visiting the facility was particularly exciting for us, as it had only opened at the beginning of 2025 and is home to the region's first waste compactor.
Once inside the Zero-Waste Center, it was time to get hands-on. Together, we sorted collected waste and prepared recyclable materials for processing. Pure PET plastics, mainly plastic bottles, were fed into the waste compactor and compressed into bales for transportation to recycling facilities.
“It is always a powerful experience to encounter waste with almost all of your senses.”
Returning Home with New Motivation
Our work at the Zero-Waste Center marked the conclusion of an inspiring and unforgettable week in Albania.
We returned home with new perspectives, a deeper understanding of the challenges on the ground, renewed motivation for every Plastic Credit, and stronger team spirit than ever before.
“We saw both the beautiful and the difficult sides of Albania. I associate the country with incredible hospitality, great food, rough roads, stunning green landscapes and, unfortunately, a significant waste problem that is still not being adequately addressed.”
The experience reminded us why our mission matters: every kilogram of waste collected, every cleanup conducted, and every Plastic Credit financed contributes to cleaner rivers, healthier ecosystems, and a future with less plastic pollution.