Dutch municipality rewards residents for turning gardens green in annual tile-removal contest
Residents of Dijk en Waard can swap garden tiles for free plants and prizes in a bid to boost biodiversity and combat climate change. The initiative, now in its second year, has already transformed over 7,000 square meters of grey space into green havens.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Dutch National Tile-Removal Championship |
| Municipality | Dijk en Waard (Noord-Holland) |
| Incentive | Free plants voucher per square metre of tiles removed |
| Prizes | Two golden watering cans with gift vouchers raffled among participants |
| 2025 Results | 7,249 tiles removed |
| Participation Period | Starts March 19 |
| Environmental Benefits | Improved rainwater drainage, cooler areas, increased biodiversity |
The municipality of Dijk en Waard plays a key role in promoting sustainable urban development by encouraging residents to replace hard surfaces with greenery. This initiative aligns with broader Dutch environmental policies aimed at enhancing biodiversity and mitigating climate change effects.
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From Grey to Green: The Dutch National Tile-Removal Championship Returns
When tiles make way for greenery, something magical happens to the environment. Butterflies, bees and other insects reappear, rainwater drains away more easily, and the area becomes significantly cooler. That’s why the municipality is calling on residents: rip out those tiles from your garden!
Tile removal comes with rewards
From March 19, you can once again hand in your tiles at the municipal yard. For every square metre of tiles removed, you’ll receive a voucher to collect free plants at a local garden centre. We’re also raffling off two golden watering cans with gift vouchers among all participants.
A great success
In 2025, a total of 7,249 tiles were removed in Dijk en Waard. “The greener the municipality, the better, more beautiful and more enjoyable it is,” says Alderman Ester Leibbrand. “More green space reduces the impact of climate change and benefits biodiversity: for insects, birds, other animals and, of course, people. Let’s aim for less grey and more green!”
Remco’s garden keeps getting greener
In 2025, Remco Burger from Heerhugowaard removed a considerable number of tiles from his garden and won a golden watering can with a garden voucher. He used part of those tiles to create a border now filled with native plants. “The plants survived the winter and are doing really well now,” Remco says. “I also bought plants for my pond using the garden voucher, and it’s becoming increasingly lively. Bit by bit, I’m making my garden greener and more wildlife-friendly. My next project is a wild patch of garden for hedgehogs. I’m planting an apple tree and placing hedgehog houses I made myself using the free blueprint from the Hedgehog Protection Society. Once that’s done, I’ll remove even more tiles from my garden to add even more greenery.”
From parking lot to green oasis
A year earlier, Perry Schoenmaker from Heerhugowaard removed about sixty square metres of tiles from his garden. “When we bought our house, the entire garden was covered in tiles,” Perry recalls. “It looked like a parking lot. We love greenery, so we removed as many tiles as possible. Now we have a beautiful garden that’s thriving. It’s full of bulbs that are now coming up as it gets warmer, we have butterfly bushes, lavender, various types of grass, hydrangeas, bamboo, wisteria and all kinds of herbs growing in different containers. We used the garden voucher to buy a rain barrel. The water from the veranda is collected in it, and that’s where we fill our lovely golden watering can.”