World Cleanup Day (World Cleanup Day) is the largest global volunteer event, bringing together volunteers from all over the world in one day. The Czech Republic has been part of this event since 2018 thanks to the Clean Up the Czech Republic association, but this year, the main focus will be on cleaning up the mess left by the floods.
This year, for the first time, 20 September has been designated as World Cleanup Day in the UN calendar. It is a civic initiative that started in Estonia in 2008 and involves more than 70 million people from 195 countries around the world in clean-up activities. Estonian Embassy in Prague is celebrating World Cleanup Day this year with a cleanup in the Petřín Gardens and is coordinating a coordinated invitation to other embassies and individuals to join the initiative.
Cleaning up after floods
"Unfortunately, a week before the global clean-up, the Czech Republic was hit by severe flooding and in many places the state of crisis still persists. We therefore called on the organisers who had their clean-up events planned for Global Clean-up Day around watercoursesto reassess the situation and directed their volunteer help more towards the relief efforts in the aftermath of the high wateror postpone the clean-ups to later dates," He told Radek Janoušek from the organizing association.
Not only cleaning, but also education?
Coincidentally, the global clean-up culminates in another international event - Zero Waste Week, which aims to reduce waste in landfills, increase recycling and encourage people to get involved in the circular economy. "We strive to minimise waste and promote circular economy by Applications KAMsNIM.czthat can help anyone when they need to get rid of anything. It simply finds the nearest correct location to the user. In many cases, unnecessary items can not only get a chance for a second life, but above all, they do not end up in the countryside, where we do not have to clean them up with volunteers," he says Miroslav Kubásek from the Clean up the Czech Republic association. "There is thus an interesting connection with our other project www.EKOkalendar.cz, where Zero Waste Week is listed as one of 250 international holidays to protect the environment and endangered species. And in the ECOcalendar you will also find 365 ECOtips for every day," He added.
Companies the most active organisers of clean-ups
Saint-Gobain Group is the most active autumn organiser with 13 events planned and is a regular participant in the World Cleanup Day. It has long been committed to reducing its environmental impact and actively promotes sustainability not only with its materials but also with its proactive approach. "It wouldn't work without the involvement of the staff. The Clean Up the Czech Republic campaign proves that we are succeeding in engaging them and that they are also aware of the acute need to face the current climate challenges," says the spokesperson of Saint-Gobain in the Czech Republic Jakub Benda. The main partner of the Clean Up the Czech Republic event, Komerční banka, leads (also traditionally) among the organizers with more than thirty clean-ups organized throughout the year. "Cleaning events have become a tradition for many of our employees. This year, the Fall Cleanup Day is even more important than ever, every help will be needed. Let's not leave negative traces of our activities in nature so that nature doesn't leave its own, too." says the coordinator of volunteer activities at Komerční banka Kristýna Jelínková.
"Both of these most active cleaning partners have been with us and supporting us for eight years, which we appreciate very much," adds Janoušek.
Unconventional cleaning action of fishermen
Can you imagine a fleet of 80 ships whose crews work together to clean not only the water surface, but also the bays and beaches? Not at sea, but here in the Czech Republic! This is the picture you can get this Thursday at the Slapy dam as part of the King of the lake race. This is the largest predatory fish fishing race from a boat in the Czech Republic, which is attended by 80 crews, 160 fishermen not only from the Czech Republic, but also from abroad. "We have received positive feedback from competitors on our intention to involve crews in the clean-up during registration day and believe we have great potential and power to help the environment around us," said the main organizer of the race Jiří Koláček.
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