A joint clean-up of the Warta and Cybina rivers in Poznań has sent a clear message about the amount of rubbish still finding its way into and around the city’s waterways.
Teams representing the partners behind the SOS dla Wody (SOS for Water) coalition collected 508 kg of waste from the rivers and their banks during a pre-finale event for the 33rd edition of Poland’s nationwide Sprzątanie świata (Clean Up the World) campaign.
The clean-up began at 9 am near Brama Poznania, with teams heading out onto the Warta and Cybina to collect rubbish from both the water and the surrounding banks.
From bottles and clothing to tyres and doors
The collected waste was later examined as part of a waste analysis carried out by environmental and waste-management expert Konrad Nowakowski, who works with Fundacja Nasza Ziemia (Our Earth Foundation).
The haul included a surprisingly broad range of everyday and bulky waste. Among the items found were cans, glass bottles, cosmetic packaging, clothes and shoes, as well as suitcases, car tyres, cables and tubes.
There were also larger items of renovation and household waste, including doors and a table.
Some of the finds were particularly concerning, including a fire extinguisher and batteries. According to Nowakowski, much of the waste could have been placed in the appropriate collection containers, while a significant proportion could also have been recycled.
The findings underline how easily items discarded on land can become part of the waste carried by waterways.
A Poznań focus on water
This year's national campaign is centred on the message “SOS dla wody - niech będzie wolna od śmieci!”, or “SOS for water - let it be free from rubbish!”
The campaign is placing particular attention on waste entering rivers, lakes, ponds and streams, where it can eventually travel onwards to the seas and oceans.
In Poznań, the local campaign began on 7 September and is running for two weeks. More than 150 groups, representing around 17,000 declared participants, had registered by the time of the pre-finale event.
The river clean-up brought together the members of the SOS dla Wody coalition: Fundacja Nasza Ziemia, the City of Poznań's Department of Municipal Management, the Wojewódzki Fundusz Ochrony Środowiska i Gospodarki Wodnej w Poznaniu and Państwowe Gospodarstwo Wodne Wody Polskie, represented by the Regional Water Management Authority in Poznań.
A declaration for Poznań's waterways
Following the clean-up, coalition members and invited guests presented and signed the “SOS dla Wody” Declaration, committing themselves to caring for water and the environments around it, from rivers and lakes to streams, their banks and coastal waters.
Beata Butwicka, president of Fundacja Nasza Ziemia, said:
We cannot imagine life on Earth without water. It is essential for plants, animals and people. Water is also a resource that cannot be replaced by another substance in many areas of life, and no economy in the world can function without it. I am pleased that the Coalition has been created, because it allows us to ask ourselves whether we notice water. Do we use too much of it? Do we respect it and avoid littering it? Do we know where water is hidden in our consumer choices? In other words, do we notice water in our everyday lives and appreciate its importance?
For Poznań, where the Warta and Cybina are an integral part of the city's landscape and everyday life, the event offered a practical reminder that keeping waterways clean starts well beyond the river itself. What is dropped, abandoned or improperly disposed of on land can ultimately reach the water.
The 33rd World Clean Up campaign continues across Poznań this month, with residents, schools, organisations and other groups taking part in clean-ups across the city.
See more: A Herbarium of a Changing World: Inside ZAMEK’s New Exhibition
Source and image credit: Fundacja Nasza Ziemia
