In Ghent’s Citadelpark, a new counterintuitive measure has been implemented to raise awareness about pollution and the city’s green spaces.
In an address by the city’s socialist councillor Astrid De Bruycker to Flemish publication VRT, the official said that the city will no longer pick up litter from certain areas of the park to raise awareness about the untidy habits of some of the city’s residents.
“We have had enough,” De Bruycker said, “so we will try an experiment of not picking anything up and confronting people with what they have left behind.”
The recent hot weather has attracted thousands of local residents to picnic in the local beauty spot. Unfortunately for the city council, many festive picnickers leave their rubbish strewn across the park’s lawns and flowerbeds.
“It is unacceptable that the green spaces department has to clear the rubbish every day before starting its real work,” the alderwoman explained. As such, the rubbish will be left where it is in some areas of the park to show locals the impact of their littering on the surroundings.
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The local official states that the safety of the park will be maintained throughout the experiment.
“We will first see what happens when you confront people with all the rubbish,” De Bruycker added.
This harsh and innovative measure is a last ditch effort to change local’s attitude towards the park. The alderwoman notes that the local authorities have already tried everything to tackle the mess.
Wat een idyllische ochtend in het Citadelpark had kunnen zijn.
Help mij eens, Twitter, hoe lossen we dit op? Sensibilisering, opruimacties, extra vuilbakken, patrouilles van politie en gemeenschapswachten: all done. #gent #citadelpark pic.twitter.com/uBoJxR0sYc — Astrid De Bruycker (@astriddebr) March 24, 2022
“We have to do something because awareness campaigns, clean-ups, strict law enforcement… nothing helps and the litter remains,” De Bruycker told VRT.
Ghent is no stranger to the weird and wonderful when it comes to combating litter. In October 2021, the city unveiled a litter-eating robot which rolled around town, asking citizens to “feed” him cigarette butts.
In August, notices designed to look like restaurant menu boards warned citizens to not litter their takeaway packaging.
