We live in a very interesting time: full of technology, entertainment, dreams as well as the imminent threat of global climate change, local and global conflicts, human rights abuse and pollution.
Yes, pollution is a probably the most striking aspect of our lives. We got used to it and normalized it, by isolating ourselves from the nature and everyday environment - because it is so easy and we are always busy with something. No time for a walk, no time for friends, no time to have a look if your fellow citizen living next to you is in trouble. What about other living creatures (not pets but vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, microbial and interspecies communities, fungi and even viruses), sharing the same environment with us? What about water, air, soil and the rest? How much more can the environment continue absorbing dropped, discarded cigarette butts, napkins, your dog's litter, cocacola cans? This is only speaking about 'solid' and easy identifiable sorts of garbage. All the trash is here to stay and gets back to nature, our food, bodies and even pets.
I belong to the group of people, who believe that we, as the human race, don't do enough to help the 'Mother Earth'. By reading excellent account on general state of things, such as Lyle Lewis' book 'Racing to extinction' (a must to everyone considering him/herself intelligent) or perhaps Henry Gee's recent book 'The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire', I decided that no matter how small but some action is already something.
Our family lives in Belgium, East Flanders, Ghent. It's a great place to live - there is a circulation plan, generally we have a lot of 'greens', politically and mentally. I believe that all the cities should be at least like Ghent, at least in terms of public transport, infrastructure or sustainability. It's not perfect but it's a great starting point.
One day we noticed people walking around and cleaning the garbage voluntary. They were definitely not professional workers. Some research on the Dutch version of the garbage processing company 'IVAGO' (or "Dr. Ivago", as we called it sometimes) helped to find an activity called 'Proper Pierke', to which everybody can sign and get some tools for starting cleaning up its own street or selected area.
I would say we procrastinated a lot before officially submitted the form (end of May this year), shortly thereafter (~ June 2025) we did a first round. Our area is around the station and the Frans Toch Park in Gentbrugge. Not a lot but... approximately 1 hour walk yields in 1 full 'General waste' and 1 'Plastic-methal-Drinkkarton' bags.
We don't do this often, sorry this is not a job, but we see that it is important activity, helping keeping our streets and pieces of nature clean (and alive) and think that documenting what we find is quite an interesting topic for a blog. In the end, by looking at the way how and what people litter, tells a lot about them. I am also doing a bit of photography and planning to add some illustrations.
Disclaimer: to get the better 'outreach', I will keep this blog in English. There will be some notes, sometimes pictures and perhaps some numbers and indeed mistakes. There is no politics here, but appeal to human intelligence and deep learning (something quite opposite to 'AI'). In no way I am trying to shame, offend or blame anyone. In the end it is just a human nature...
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