Volunteers needed: Clean Up Czechia stresses importance of pitching in now

Today and this weekend, people in Czechia will join the global effort of World Cleanup Day to rid their towns and cities of garbage and waste. The association running the event, Ukliďme Česko (Let’s Clean Up Czechia), has emphasized the importance of aid this year, calling on volunteers to participate as much as possible in the aftermath of recent flooding across Czechia. 

Although today, Sept. 20, is officially World Cleanup Day, Ukliďme Česko stresses that you can get involved this weekend or any time throughout the year. More organized cleaning efforts, usually in groups, will take place today and over the weekend.

The goal of the global cleaning campaign is not only to clean up, but also to raise awareness about proper waste management and prevention. The association also has an interactive map, wherein you can find your local neighborhood and community. The map displays when and where organized cleaning efforts take place.

As per the website, if you choose to clean up your local area this weekend (or later), the organization can supply a range of materials – from garbage bags to special gloves – to help with this.

The Estonian Embassy in Prague, which is contributing this year by cleaning up Petřín Gardens, invites other individuals to join.

The campaign's goal is to not only clean up, but also educate about proper waste management, and the association has created a web application, www.kamsnim.cz (available in English), to help with this initiative. The site helps people find disposal locations for waste in their area and give items a chance for further use.

The initiative is also strongly focused on clamping down on illegal waste dumps. You may report illegal dumps and landfills on the ZmapujTo application. 

You may also contribute financially through the initiative’s website.

Many. A range of charities and volunteering associations, such as Charita CR, People In Need, the Adra Foundation, Diakonie ČCE, and the Czech Red Cross accept volunteers in light of the recent floods. You may also financially donate to these organizations.

The Czech Union of Nature Conservators has been organizing a cleanup event under the name Clean Up the World since 1993. Last year alone, over 22,000 people joined the cleanup efforts, collecting 170 tons of waste. It is also calling on people to join its waste-cleaning efforts.

The UN officially recognized World Cleanup Day, a citizens' initiative that began in Estonia in 2008, this year. Over 70 million people from 195 countries participate in cleaning activities every year.