The ‘FREE Toloka’ campaign reminded the city of a significant problem – the irregular collection of waste in public places
They say a person’s life has not been lived in vain if they have left their mark. But, let’s be honest, piles of rubbish are not the kind of mark we have in mind. Unfortunately, the outskirts, roadsides and even the city parks of Uzhhorod, whose paths are walked by hundreds of people every day, are littered with glass, plastic bags, PET bottles and other plastic.
However, there are concerned young people in the city who care about cleanliness. The civil society organisation ‘FRI Uzhhorod’ is organising the ‘FRI Toloka’ campaign once again to remind the city of its significant problem – littering – and, in particular, the irregular collection of waste in public places.
Oleksandr Dius, a participant in the clean-up and a first-year master’s student at the Faculty of Information Technology at Uzhhorod National University, comments: “I found out about the clean-up from the ‘FRI Uzhhorod’ Telegram channel, and a friend told me about it. This isn’t the first time I’ve come to help clean up; this time I rushed to the event straight after my classes at the military department. Together with the activists, we cleaned up the riverside area of the Uzh in Bozdosh Park.” The young man adds that public engagement is a good sign. Problems need to be highlighted, because that is the only way to solve them, make the process systematic, and not have to revisit the issue.
The activists collected a total of 33 bin bags, sorted the rubbish, and 30 of them will be sent for recycling.
A job well done – now you can relax. The best part of the clean-up is the picnic afterwards. The participants got to know each other, chatted and had a rest.
The organiser of the campaign, Denys Zakharkevych, points out that it is not acceptable to constantly have to do the work of the council’s utility services. Therefore, he and a team of like-minded individuals from ‘FRI Uzhhorod’ plan to approach the relevant department of the city council and keep a close eye on the issue.
In addition, “FRI Uzhhorod” organises various educational, cultural and environmental events; you can follow the news and updates on Facebook, Instagram or the Telegram channel.
Iryna Ripyanchyn
