What is the challenge?
Spiekeroog is a car-free, environmentally conscious island, but still faces sharp seasonal waste increases due to tourism. The island lacks space for landfills and must ship all waste to the mainland. As part of the Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage area, the island’s ecosystem is particularly vulnerable to pollution. Managing food waste, improving sorting, and raising awareness are key priorities.
Why this pilot?
Spiekeroog combines a strong sustainability ethos with real logistical constraints. The pilot focuses on:
- Reducing food waste in the hospitality and retail sectors
- Involving citizens, students, and businesses in co-creating solutions
- Strengthening local sustainability competences
- Turning the island into a model for tourism-driven zero-waste living
What’s being done?
Together with 3ST partners, Spiekeroog has:
- Conducted workshops and vision-building sessions
- Organised creative food waste campaigns
- Engaged local youth and schools
- Launched exploratory work on small-scale waste solutions
These actions lay the groundwork for structural change rooted in community participation.
Who is involved and what’s the 3ST approach?
Coordinating partner: Jade Hochschule
Local actors on Spiekeroog include:
- Nordseebad Spiekeroog GmbH (Sustainability & Real Estate team)
- Local food shop Watt’nKoophuus (Stefanie Grucza)
- DEHOGA (Katja Rucart)
- Lietz Internat (Nicole Stollberg)
- Local residents and citizens (Margaret Bauer, Sibo Bring)
With support from the 3ST project, partners use the Theory of Change (ToC) to explore underlying drivers of waste, define shared goals, and build long-term actions. The focus lies on practical interventions with broad local support.
What will it deliver?
- A community-based food waste strategy
- Youth and citizen involvement in sustainability education
- Scenarios for decentralised recycling tailored to the island
- Improved cooperation between public, private and education sectors
Spiekeroog’s pilot shows how smaller, values-driven communities can lead the way in sustainable tourism.
Want to know more?
Jade Hochschule – University of Applied Sciences
Friedrich-Paffrath-Straße 101
26389 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
🔗 Project page (DE)
📧 Prof. Dr. Enno Schmoll: schmoll@jade-hs.de
📧 Betti Keese: betti.keese@jade-hs.de