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topicnews · September 13, 2024

Press release: “Population makes Switzerland shine”

Press release: “Population makes Switzerland shine”

IG Clean Environment IGSU

A document

Population makes Switzerland shine

Humor is when you laugh anyway. Tens of thousands of helpers started the 12th national IGSU Clean-Up Day with great enthusiasm today. During numerous clean-up operations in all parts of Switzerland, they collected several tons of rubbish.
Tomorrow the IGSU Clean-Up Day goes into its second round – together with comedian Michael Elsener.

Littering is annoying, expensive and harmful to the environment. Removing litter lifts the mood. Tens of thousands of helpers experienced this again today when they collected rubbish lying around and disposed of it correctly as part of the national IGSU Clean-Up Day. Grandparents and their grandchildren cleaned up woodland, employees and their teams cleared litter from company premises and community workers worked side by side with schoolchildren to keep the streets clean. In addition, numerous clean-up campaigns were organized with entertaining supporting programs. “The organizers of the campaigns and the many young and old helpers showed what is possible if you don’t lose your sense of humor,” says IGSU Managing Director Nora Steimer. “They didn’t let the litter discourage them, but actively campaigned for a clean environment.” That deserves great recognition.”

Cities and communities show creativity

The organizers, especially towns and communities, have shown not only humor, but also creativity. Köniz BE, for example, got some animal support: to encourage the population to take part, they were accompanied by alpacas during the clean-up operation on Friday. The Grenchen SO building department also knows how to motivate the helpers: after collecting the rubbish, they can expect a helper’s snack on Saturday, a concert with instruments made from recycled material, and an exhibition of winning posters from a school competition. Volketswil ZH is holding its clean-up operation on Saturday under the motto “Spogomi”. This sustainable sport was invented in Japan 15 years ago. Teams of three compete against each other to find and sort as much rubbish as possible in a limited time. And Vully-les-Lacs VD is getting the operation off to a good start with croissants and coffee, and it will end with an aperitif.

Schools put their words into action

On Friday, there were also a particularly large number of pupils out and about: The Hinterbüel school in Wangen near Olten SO had already prepared the approximately 150 children in advance for the topic of littering. On Friday, they were able to put what they had learned into practice: the collected waste items were recorded in a log. This resulted in signs that are now being put up at the sites to raise awareness of the littering problem. The Istituto scolastico di Bellinzona TI carried out its clean-up campaign as part of its own project on biodiversity. The pupils of the primary school Münchenstein BL were trained at various stations on topics such as food waste, littering and disposal. The stations were manned by community employees, club members and company employees. And the primary school in the Murten FR region used the Clean-Up Day to network the pupils from the various locations in a joint campaign by mixing German and French-speaking children in groups.

Tourism industry gets involved

The IGSU Clean-Up Day is also being supported by numerous companies this year. Long-standing Clean-Up Day participants such as McDonald’s Switzerland, WWF, SBB, Johnson & Johnson and UBS are committed to a clean environment. The tourism industry is also showing particular commitment this year: The employees of Lufthansa Aviation Training met at Balsberg ZH and collected waste from there to their respective locations. Hotelplan Suisse has made the area around its headquarters in Glattbrugg ZH shine. Hotel employees are also ensuring a clean Switzerland again this year: The team from the Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich cleaned up the Platzspitzpark and the banks of the Limmat. The staff of the Zurich Dolder Hotel AG met for a forest clean-up, while the employees of the Mövenpick Hotel Zurich Airport in Glattbrugg ZH made a contribution to sustainability. Employees of the Sunstar Hotels in Brissago TI, Etoy VD and Liestal BL are also involved.

Movement against littering

The national IGSU Clean-Up Day is part of the World Cleanup Day, which takes place this year on September 20th. Since 2013, it has been organized and mobilized every year by the IGSU, the Swiss Competence Center against Littering. This year, an estimated 60,000 people collected several tons of waste and recyclables in around 750 campaigns. Comedian Michael Elsener is also at the party: the patron of this year’s IGSU Clean-Up Day will be collecting waste tomorrow, Saturday, together with the Zurich-Affoltern neighborhood association. “I present complex issues in a simple and entertaining way. “While it takes me about eight minutes to explain voting proposals, the littering problem can be explained in five words: waste belongs in the bin,” he emphasizes. The action day is supported by the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN, the Swiss Association for Municipal Infrastructure SVKI and the Pusch Foundation.

Further information on the national IGSU Clean-Up Day can be found at www.clean-up-day.ch.

Media contact:

  • IGSU media office (D, I, F), 043 500 19 91, [email protected]
  • Nora Steimer, Managing Director IGSU, 076 406 13 86

IGSU – Swiss Competence Center against Littering

The IGSU is the Swiss competence center against littering and has been working nationally since 2007 to promote a clean environment with preventive awareness-raising measures. One of the best-known measures is the national IGSU Clean-Up Day, which will take place this year on September 13th and 14th. The IGSU is supported by the IGORA Cooperative for Aluminum Recycling, PET Recycling Switzerland, VetroSwiss, 20Minuten, McDonald’s Switzerland, Migros, Coop, Valora, Feldschlösschen, Coca-Cola Switzerland and the International Chewing Gum Association. They are also involved in their own activities against littering, for example by setting up additional trash cans, carrying out regular clean-up tours around their branches or organizing clean-up campaigns with the population.

Benötigen Sie für einen Bericht über Littering ein Quote oder haben eine Frage zum Thema? Die IGSU-Expert*innen stehen Ihnen gern zur Verfügung.


IGSU
Hohlstrasse 532
8048 Zürich
Tel 043 500 19 99 
[email protected]
 www.clean-up-day.ch

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