Hey there,

Hi, I’m Dr. Hanna Dijkstra — a sustainability scientist, plastic pollution researcher, and communicator working at the intersection of science, systems, and storytelling.

I was born in Cyprus, raised between Southeast Asia and California, and now live in the Netherlands. My international upbringing sparked a lifelong curiosity about how people and places are connected — and how we can care for the systems we all rely on.

I hold a PhD from the Institute for Environmental Studies at VU Amsterdam, where my research focused on how entrepreneurs and business models are helping to shift the global plastic system toward sustainability. My dissertation, titled Ripples to Waves, reflects the heart of what I do: linking small actions to big impacts, and translating complexity into something people can feel.

Over the past decade, I’ve worked across academia, consulting, and field research — from conducting plastic pollution monitoring on remote Pacific islands, to advising on the implications of the UN Global Plastics Treaty, to analyzing business model innovation in circular economies. My expertise spans marine plastic pollution, circular systems, sustainable entrepreneurship, and environmental economics.

In recent years, I’ve also embraced communication as part of my work. Whether I’m presenting at conferences, breaking down new research, or writing personal essays on imposter syndrome and science at sea, I believe that honest, human storytelling can help people connect with the planet — and with each other.

Currently, I work as an independent researcher, consultant, and science communicator. I’m available for freelance collaborations in sustainability research, writing, public engagement, field-based storytelling, and more.

If you’d like to work together — whether it’s for a research project, policy insight, creative collaboration, or communication support — I’d love to hear from you.