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Trimbos Institute

The case

Immersive room: Experience the consequences of drug waste

In the Netherlands, a huge number of synthetic drugs are produced for use around the world. Big orders are placed from abroad because Dutch drugs have a good price-quality ratio and are usually delivered reliably.

This is also evident from the number of drugs that are dumped and/or disposed of. In 2018, 292 dump locations and 82 production locations were registered in the Netherlands. Substances like hydrochloric acid are harmful to the environment and it costs a lot of money to clear them up.

The Trimbos Institute studied whether people who use drugs would consider not doing so if they were more aware of the effects of drug waste on the environment.

Together with Trimbos, TinQwise Immersive developed the 'Bijtende Bende' immersive learning room: a life-size virtual 3D-environment in which visitors experience the impact of drug waste. To see it yourself, click here. The immersive learning room was exhibited for a week during Dutch Design Week.

Marjan Mohle, Trimbos Institute

'In one week time, we had more than 1000 visitors. People waited in line everyday to experience the immersive room.'

Immersive learning room

In the ‘Bijtende Bende’ immersive learning room, visitors experience the impact of drug waste on the environment. In a life-size 3D-environment, they play an interactive game with each other. The story starts with leaking drug containers in a forest and leads back to the sale and production of drugs. Based on various perspectives, visitors make the connection between the drug containers in the forest and an order for pills.

Building the immersive room for Dutch Design Week
Theo and Jean-Luc from TinQwise Immersive
Testing the immersive room
Sneak peek from the immersive room: leaking drugs containers
Sneak peek from the immersive room: ordering drugs during a night out
Hundreds of visitors during the Dutch Design Week

From plan to reality in just 1 month

Just one month after the first sketches were on the drawing board, the immersive learning room was up and running and ready for use during Dutch Design Week. With content-based input from Trimbos, nature conservation organisations, the police and many others. The immersive learning room has been designed so that it can re-used. The Trimbos Institute plans to use it during the various debates planned on the theme of drugs and the environment.