On 19 September, we joined the World Cleanup Day in several countries. Through team cleanups and individual ones, we contributed to a global effort to clean up waste from public spaces and nature, and expressed our concern about the future of our planet. And, we had fun, too!
Doing good and having fun
World Cleanup Day is a global movement and every year it lasts a full 24 hours, starting in Fiji, and ending a full rotation of the globe later in Hawaii. It is all about volunteer work and cleaning up local surroundings, with an emphasis on having a good time while spending time together with families, friends or colleagues outdoors.
This year our cleanups took us to local streets, parks, beaches and in one case even into the water – to clean up the riverbank and the bottom of the river!
Tackling cigarette butt pollution
The main focus this year was tackling the cigarette butt pollution – cigarette butts are non-biodegradable and toxic, yet very common form of waste. The filters contain over 150 poisonous toxins which can potentially spoil up to 1,000 liters of water. Cigarette butts were the most common finding also for our cleanup teams, besides bottle caps, different kinds of packages, glass and other mixed waste. We also found some clothes and even a wooden chair.
Contributing to a cleaner planet every day
Through this kind of actions that draw attention to the well-being of the planet, we can show commitment to our sustainability focus areas and targets. World Cleanup Day is only held once a year, but in order to keep our surroundings clean, we have to contribute every day.
