Thank you for your efforts! Volunteers clean up our homeland of garbage on World Cleanup Day

Hardworking garbage collectors rolled up their sleeves on Saturday at the World Cleanup Day, especially in the eastern district, and cleared their homes of tons of garbage. On average, the volunteers collected four kilograms per person. According to Radovan Rábl, founder of the Klettgau Cleaners and deputy chairman of the Let’s Do It! Germany association, which initiated the World Cleanup Day in Germany, the amount collected reflected the national average.

“I am pleasantly surprised. In almost every town we had about 30 to 50 collectors. There were also initiatives from individual clubs or companies, and even individual schools took part. “This shows that the topic is becoming more and more of a focus,” says Rabl.

The results were, however, sometimes shocking. Each of the initiatives collected at least 100 kilograms of small waste, many even 200 to 250 kilograms. “Unfortunately, we also found Ekal in Klettgau: a large pile of animal bones and diapers buried under a pile of rubble.” According to the experienced garbage collector, the diapers dumped in the countryside are unfortunately not an isolated case. “We collect the same amount year after year,” says Rabl.

The hard-working collectors from Tiengen to Stühlingen also found household appliances and old pans hidden under bushes. “Cigarette butts were a major problem again this year. It is well known what great damage they cause to nature. It is therefore incomprehensible that they are still simply thrown away into nature.” The communities and local companies supported the campaign and provided the hard-working helpers with food and drinks afterwards.

The action dayWorld Cleanup Day is a global day of action as part of social action to rid the environment of garbage. It takes place on September 20th and has been an official day of action of the United Nations (UN) since 2024. In Germany, around 300,000 participants took part in 5,000 actions. In the Waldshut district, most of the actions took place a day later, on Saturday, September 21st.

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Klettgau: 40 helpers even find official mail

In Klettgau, around 40 people took part in the clean-up campaign. According to Radovan Rábl, the local companies stood out positively, as their surroundings were almost free of rubbish. This year, in addition to the now usual bottles, packaging and cigarette butts, a coat, a hubcap and official mail were also found, which Mayor Ozan Topcuogullari will now personally forward to the recipients. He took part in the campaign, as did his challenger in the mayoral election, Michael Ehm.

Küssaberg: Under 200 kilograms of garbage is also a cuddly toy

22 volunteers, including four children, did some good together in Küssaberg. They collected plastic, glass, paper and even scrap metal. But there were also some strange finds, such as a stroller attachment, a tie, a jacket, hubcaps, other car parts and a cuddly toy.

The collectors were annoyed by the mountains of baby diapers that were found in several places. They also noticed the amount of non-deposit bottles and cans from Swiss brands. Thanks to the efforts of the garbage collectors, Küssaberg has lost around 200 kilograms of garbage.

Tiengen: 200 litres of garbage in and around Tiengen

Individually or in groups of two, the volunteers in Tiengen set off in all directions from the parking lot at the railway crossing. For the Klettgau Cleaners, World Cleanup Day was already the seventh garbage collection campaign in 2024.

“The weather was sunny, so everyone could combine a sunny walk with meaningful, charitable work as they pleased,” Andreas Otte and Heinrich Befuss said, looking back on the event. The collectors’ bags were quickly filled one after the other. After two hours, the Klettgau cleaners counted 200 liters of garbage.

Wutöschingen: 250 kilograms of rubbish less in the landscape

At the end, the garbage bags in Wutöschingen were also full to bursting. According to Bernhard Fox from Wutöschingen Cleaners, 50 cheerful helpers cleared the environment of 200 to 250 kilograms of garbage.

“We are incredibly happy that so many people got involved and would like to thank all participants, especially the Ofteringen cycling club, which collected donations with its own group, with its own starting point in Ofteringen.”

Lauchringen: Seven helpers fill many garbage bags

Although only seven helpers came to the meeting point at the Lauchringen construction yard, this spurred the participants on even more. “Perhaps it is simply too clean in Lauchringen,” said Annette Spedt from the Lauchringen Climate Advisory Board with a grin. “After all, the construction yard employees regularly go on cleaning tours, which of course is not their actual job,” she added. So the participants had to limit themselves to locations that were not entirely visible, which made the results all the more astonishing.

Hohentengen: Babies to 80-year-olds take part in the event

In Hohentengen, 38 people, young and old, walked through Hohentengen and the surrounding areas to collect rubbish and keep their surroundings clean. Rene Manthey, chairman of the citizens’ network, is extremely satisfied with the day’s “yield”.

Responsibility for one’s own environment is a task for every person, regardless of age. The youngest participant watched the garbage collection while sleeping in her stroller, while her mother collected garbage while pushing the stroller. The oldest participant, who was over 80 years old, was in top shape. The most curious discovery was a cat skeleton, which was particularly exciting for the children.

Stühlingen: Sto employees also collect

Already on Friday, September 20, the actual World Cleanup Day, around 300 employees in ten countries of the Sto Group were out and about with buckets and grabbers.

There was also a lot of collecting going on at the Weizen site.

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