The national TeSzedd! ("You Pick It!") litter collection drive will he held on September 14 this year, instead of in Spring as usual, announced the Minister of State for Environmental Affairs at the Ministry of Rural Development's Earth Day event held in Budapest's City Park.
At the event, Zoltán Illés told reporters that the national TeSzedd! drive will not be held in Spring as has been previous practice, because during the organisation of the programme is transpired that several organisations, civil and local communities are organising various litter collection days during Spring, usually on different days. "We would like to increase the significance of local initiatives by finding a new, autumn date for the national drive", the politician stressed.
Over 150 thousand people at 1500 collection sites in some 700 settlements took part in last year's TeSzedd! drive, including all sorts of people from small children to old age pensioners. Over 3000 tons of litter was collected as a result of the one-day drive, and the settlements taking part were freed of illegally dumped litter, we were informed on site.
This is the second time that the Ministry of Rural Development, the National Waste Management Agency (NWMA) and several other of the Ministry's organisations have organised a family day in the Budapest City Park to mark Earth Day.
At the event, Director of the National Waste Management Agency Oszkár Vámosi emphasised that the Agency had held two polls on selective litter collection on which 77% of people said that they engaged in selective litter collection on a daily basis. However, the facts paint a different picture: only 11% of people actually selectively collect litter daily. The NWMA was set up to change this state of affairs.
Dávid Mezőszentgyörgyi, Secretary General of the Hungarian National Rural Network (HNRN) and Director General of the National Agricultural Advisory, Educational and Rural Development Institute (NAKVI), one of the event's co-organisers, said that the programme was an opportunity to present rural environmental protection programmes. Environmental protection usually concentrates on the capital, whereas there are problems that need solving in rural areas too, and we would like to draw attention to this fact.
At the event, which lasted all day, visitors were made aware of modern solutions in rural development, energy efficiency and waste management, all closely associated with environmental protection and conservation. The country's National Parks, the Hungarian National Rural Network, the Hungarian Environmental Education Association, Environmentally Friendly Products Non-Profit Ltd., the NWMA and the Budapest Public Area Maintenance Co. were all present with informative stands and presentations. Healthcare and environmentally friendly motoring were represented by the Hungarian Allergy Association and Opel Hungary, respectively.
The City of Budapest also held its Earth Day event in the City Park, where a Guinness record attempt was in progress by the planting of 22 thousand violets. At the event's opening ceremony, Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Zoltán Illés said that solidarity and cooperation was needed to protect the environment, nature, air and water. Everyone must do their utmost within their own, immediate environment to protect nature, whether through selective litter collection, using environmentally friendly transport and energy efficient solutions, or by simply making the effort to keep the environment clean.
Deputy Mayor in charge of city maintenance István György stressed that we have much to do together so that Budapest conforms to 21st century environmental requirements, to which the City of Budapest will provide the conditions necessary.
(MTI/Ministry of Rural Development)
