Second annual Nortek beach cleanup gathers 650 kg of trash from Sandvika river

For the second year in a row, members of the Nortek crew along with local dive training club Vollen Dykkeklubb set out to use the Nortek boat to remove trash from local waterways. This year, the cleanup efforts focused on the river in Sandvika, an area where e-bikes, e-scooters and shopping carts typically end up in the water.

A team effort, from underwater to the surface

Members of the local diver’s club Vollen Dykkeklubb operated under the surface while the Nortek team remained onboard the Nortek boat. This vessel is usually used for instrument testing but newly employed as a cleanup vessel.

“[The divers] attach bags of air with rope to whatever they want us to take up,” explains Patrick Johansen, Support and Field Technician at Nortek who organized the cleanup. “We just went around with the boat and brought onboard the bags and trash.”

Assistance from local Vollen Dykkeklubb has been vital to Nortek-assisted or Nortek-organized cleanups, including Nortek’s first official cleanup in 2022. The cleanup crew also collaborated with Bærum kommune, the local municipality’s officials, to see where their efforts could be best focused.

Trash collection from a local river

This year, the team collected a total of 650 kg of trash from the river. The majority could be attributed to electric scooters, along with shopping carts and construction or building signs. The river runs along a busy street where there is often foot traffic from neighboring restaurants and bars, so it comes as no surprise that man-made items often end up in the water.

“We found all the typical things people like to throw in the river,” jokes Johansen.

Connecting as a team over doing good

Johansen says to him, the best part of participating in a cleanup event like this one is the feeling of contribution and community.

“It’s always a nice social thing to hang out with Nortek people,” he says, and adds that it is even more enjoyable to spend time together when doing something together to the benefit of the local community.

“You feel like you’re contributing to something, and that’s always a good feeling. Even though we were cold and messy, we all always had a smile on our faces, and that’s good.”

Planning future cleanup efforts

Johansen notes that based on their conversations with the municipality in Bærum, next year’s cleanup will likely take place out near the islands in the neighboring Oslofjord, where pollution often accumulates.

“Next year we’re going to do it even better!” he says. “More people, maybe more boats, more divers, and a bigger event. I’m looking forward to doing this annually.”

Special thanks to Patrick Johansen, Olaf Hovde, Katrine Engenes, Cathrine Christensen, Inga Wegger, Stephen Weare, Magomed Isaev, Enrika Ramonaite and all of the divers at Vollen Dykkeklubb for their efforts with this year’s cleanup event! We are proud of our team who often go above and beyond for the things they care about.