Peter Smith

Peter Smith was a photographer for much of his working life. He has had many celebrities in front of his lens. The most famous and remarkable of them all was Neil Armstrong. Peter had the opportunity to spend two hours with Neil. Neil was the keynote speaker that day at the World Forum in The Hague.

Two years later, Peter himself stood on that same stage addressing the audience at the World Forum. That encounter with Neil certainly influenced the turning point in Peter’s life. But one key insight really was the starting point:

If you have a problem that feels too big, complaining about it is pointless. Look for the smallest thing you can do about that problem and DO it.

That insight led to Klean: Complaining Really, Absolutely Doesn’t Pay. Peter has also begun applying this principle to the immense problem of litter. Every day, Peter now picks up at least TTn piece of litter.

That very first piece—you can now say it’s the butterfly effect that’s developing into a hurricane of change.

Klean has since become the Klean Foundation—an organization made up entirely of volunteers that, even with virtually no budget, is more successful than Nederland Schoon. Peter created the largest work of art ever made from litter: The World of Litter. He overcame his fear of public speaking and has already given several TED Talks. He has since taught guest lessons to approximately 15,000 students about the Plastic Soup, to which litter is a major contributor.