World CleanUp Day: nearly one ton of waste collected in Nice

On the occasion of World Planet Cleanup Day, several waste collection operations were organized throughout Nice this week. Elected officials, municipal staff and young people mobilized for a cleaner city. Thanks to these operations, 900 kilos of waste and 80,000 cigarette butts were collected by no fewer than 500 participants over the week.

A major cleanup effort, but above all a strong message. On the occasion of World CleanUp Day, the city of Nice transformed itself into a platform for environmental awareness. Recognized by the UN and celebrated every September 20, this movement is based on a simple principle: residents, schools, associations or businesses can join a collection or launch their own cleanup in just a few clicks on worldcleanupday.fr. Armed with gloves and bags, volunteers scour streets and beaches to hunt down cigarette butts, plastics and cans, before weighing and sorting everything for recycling. But beyond the tons of debris collected each year, the real challenge lies elsewhere: to trigger a visual shock so that no one throws anything on the ground for the rest of the year.

From the Gambetta area to all corners of the city, they were numerous this Saturday morning on the Promenade des Anglais putting on gloves to collect litter left on public roads. An intergenerational initiative praised by local stakeholders, but which must not stop at a simple symbolic day.

Cédric Cirasa: “If everyone makes a small effort, we will have less waste”

For Cédric Cirasa, deputy mayor responsible for roads, cleanliness and sanitation, the situation is clear: the municipality will not be able to solve everything alone. “What I would like is for CleanUp Day to be every day, 365 days a year, emphasizes the elected official. Adding more sanitation workers would not be enough. We are pursuing a policy where each citizen must be a link in the chain. When we are at home, we do not throw things on the ground. We must be aware that if everyone makes a small effort, we will go far and have less waste.“

An appeal to common sense that also concerns post-collection management, focused on selective sorting. “In a modern society, everything we consume is supposed to be recyclable“, reminds the metropolitan deputy.

Young people as key players

At the heart of this mobilization, young people play an important role. From school benches to sports fields, the youngest are on the front lines to reverse the trend. A presence that delights Mathieu Vierne, director of cleanliness in Nice. “The objective is really to raise awareness among the population about waste disposal. We have all ages, middle school students, but also young athletes from Cavigal.”

On the ground, awareness takes effect immediately. “Before today, I had no idea how many cigarette butts there were on the ground, it’s shocking, say young participants. Most of the time, it’s us young people who make a mess or throw things without thinking. Coming to help at our level allows us to solve part of the problem.”

For field teams, targeting children is key to shaping eco-responsible citizens. “The goal is to raise awareness in schools. I will train and intervene directly in classrooms, explains Christophe Sauvaigo, cleanliness mediator. Once a person participates in a cleanup action, they never throw trash on the ground again thanks to civic responsibility.”

Awareness throughout the year

This environmental education does not stop at World CleanUp Day. Nice’s strategy is part of a permanent calendar. “Cleanliness will only be achieved if everyone participates, insists Mathieu Vierne. We organize between 70 and 80 cleanups per year. Mediators go into schools and sorting ambassadors work closely with the population. This is work that must be done all year round, and even throughout our lives.“

This civic momentum continues on the official date of this international event. This Sunday, September 20, the association Nice Plogging and Les Divers-Gens are organizing a major cleanup and recycling operation for debris in the Ariane area. All volunteers wishing to do their part are expected from 9:30 am at Place des Mosaïques to make, once again, a concrete gesture for their neighborhood.