The Invisible Plastic: How We Track Down PVA
9. December 2025
Review and Outlook: Always Together for Water Without Microplastics
Dear supporters, dear fellow advocates for clean water,
2025 is behind us - and what a year it was! We pushed boundaries, broke records, and showed what a small team with a big mission can achieve. Today, I'm taking you on a journey through twelve months of breakthroughs - and giving you a preview of what's coming in 2026.
2025 in Numbers - What We Achieved
Numbers speak louder than words:
- 63 blog posts - new knowledge for you every week
- 7 press releases - our topics reaching the public
- 5 peer-reviewed publications - science at the highest level
This is no coincidence. This is the result of a team that's on fire - and a community that has our back.
People. Photos. Impressions from 2025 © Wasser 3.0
OPEN HOUSE 2025 - Landau Goes International
At the end of June, we opened our doors - and the world came: 60 guests from 7 countries experienced first-hand at 9 stations how our technology works. From sampling to recycling, from laboratory to pilot plant. Read the full recap of OPEN HOUSE 2025.
The message was clear: Wasser 3.0 is no longer a start-up dreaming of solutions. We deliver.
People. Photos. Impressions from 2025 © Wasser 3.0
Research That Makes an Impact
Our Global Map of Microplastics has become the central data platform - over 500 sampling points, more than 700 wastewater treatment plant analyses. For the first time, microplastic data is globally comparable.
The breakthrough of the year: Our PVA publication. Polyvinyl alcohol - the hidden plastic in detergents and dishwasher tabs - was considered undetectable. We made it measurable and remove 99 percent of it from wastewater. This is new. This is important. This changes the game.
Recognition followed: Environmental Technology Award Baden-Württemberg, Global Water Challenge Award, Merlin Innovation Award. Three awards that confirm: Our Clump & Skim technology works - with over 95 percent removal rate and significantly lower costs than conventional methods.
Microplastic Detectives in Action
In 2025, we took our education programme to the next level. The Microplastic Detectives launched with a clear mission: students become researchers, citizens become data providers.
In March, we sampled the entire Alb river - 55 kilometres, from mouth to source. 30 volunteers, 23 samples, one result: microplastics everywhere. An average of 99 particles per litre. Even in the Black Forest, even at the source.
In May, the Queich river sampling followed - and suddenly 30 became over 200 participants! Seven school classes, the Surfrider Foundation, engaged citizens. The UNESCO World Heritage Queichwiesen meadows now have a microplastic profile.
"Without data, we are all just people with opinions."
With our data, we become a voice that is heard.
People. Photos. Impressions from 2025 © Wasser 3.0
The Reality - And Why We Keep Going
The facts are well known: microplastics in blood, placenta, breast milk, in the heart, in the brain. The EU is responding - but slowly. The new Pellet Loss Regulation is a start, but the mandatory two samplings per year for large wastewater treatment plants are a joke. If you want to solve a problem, you first have to understand it. That requires data - and more than twice a year.
This is exactly where we come in. With standardised analytics, with continuous monitoring, with technology that works.
2026 - The Next Level
River Neiße will be our flagship project: The first complete microplastic mapping of a European river. 256 kilometres. Three countries - Germany, Poland, Czech Republic. AI-supported analytics combined with cross-border citizen science. This has never been done before.
In parallel, we're launching "Swim Against Microplastics" - our major Danube sampling campaign. One of Europe's most important rivers will get its microplastic profile.
And our Microplastic Detectives are expanding: The Integrated Comprehensive School Mannheim will become the next hotspot for citizen science. More schools, more data, more impact.
People. Photos. Impressions from 2025 © Wasser 3.0
What's Needed Now
The microplastics crisis cannot be solved alone. Industry has the biggest lever - our PE-X technology shows how it's done: 95 percent removal, recycling as secondary raw material. Politics must set and enforce binding standards. And society - all of you - creates the pressure that makes change possible.
We have already reached over 5,000 students. With the Wasser 3.0 App and our analytics kits, everyone can participate - standardised, scientifically valid, relevant.
Join Us
As a non-profit organisation, every euro goes into research, education, and technology development. No profit distribution, no hidden costs. Your donation funds analytics kits for schools, long-term monitoring of rivers, and the development of new solutions.
Become part of the solution - every contribution counts!
Donation account: Baden-Württembergische Bank
IBAN: DE67 6005 0101 0405 3293 55
2026 - We're Stepping It Up
2025 was strong. 2026 will be stronger. We've proven that environmental protection and innovation go hand in hand. That science and citizen participation are not mutually exclusive. That a small team can achieve great things.
Thank you for your support. Thank you for your trust. And now: Here's to a productive, successful, and water-rich 2026!
Dr. Katrin Schuhen
Founder and Managing Director
Wasser 3.0 gGmbH
