Hesse: Hesse's cities are fighting against littering

With the corona pandemic, eating and drinking to go got a boost.

Hesse: Hesse's cities are fighting against littering

With the corona pandemic, eating and drinking to go got a boost. But the trend also has its downsides when many people meet outdoors in summer - and don't clear away their rubbish. Then even bigger trash cans won't help.

Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) - Pizza boxes, coffee mugs, cigarette butts: People in the cities and at excursion destinations often leave their rubbish behind, especially in parks or at popular meeting places. A challenge for the municipalities. The disposal companies react, among other things, with extra shifts, garbage scouts or more controls.

In Gießen there is always heavy littering, as a spokeswoman said. Parks are particularly affected. "This is mainly due to the trend that the facilities are increasingly being used to spend free time - for picnics, barbecues, etc. Unfortunately, rubbish is then also left behind." The trend is independent of Corona.

The city of Giessen has increased the cleaning intervals to remedy the situation. "And since last year we have been using so-called garbage scouts, who deliberately address visitors to the green areas and sensitize them to the fact that garbage has to be taken away or disposed of properly." For example, garbage bags or pocket ashtrays are distributed.

The city of Kassel is also struggling with increasing littering. "Street cleaning employees have to empty the wastebaskets more frequently, although the volume has already increased," said a city spokesman. In addition, waste paper baskets with solar presses are used, which compact the waste at regular intervals. "Not included here is the rubbish that doesn't find its way into the wastebasket, but is carelessly thrown on the floor."

When the weather is nice, littering is a particular problem. "Unfortunately, the many beautiful squares in the city area will not be left the way users found them," explained the spokesman. A lot of waste is often left behind on site. On the one hand, he attributed the increase to the fact that life had shifted more outside - also due to the pandemic. "On the other hand, eating habits have changed. Eating and drinking to go has become established". During the pandemic, many companies also offered takeaway food. According to a spokeswoman, Rüdesheim am Rhein has a problem with urate from revelers and day tourists - "mainly as a result of the increased to-go business". The focus is on the vineyards. At the beginning of the corona pandemic, wine hikes in small private groups became established, and beautiful places developed into popular meeting places. Waste is often left behind, the spokeswoman said. Even after the lockdown, many people liked to stay in the Wingerten. In the fight against garbage, the law enforcement officers are checking the vineyards much more frequently than in 2019. "Furthermore, attempts are being made to dispose of the garbage as quickly as possible so that imitation is not encouraged," added the spokeswoman.

The spokesman for Darmstadt also reports: "With increasingly nice weather, there is an increased amount of garbage in the public areas and especially in the public parks." This has not changed significantly after the end of the corona lockdown. In the meantime, the cleaning intervals have been increased for certain parks.

Hesse's state capital, Wiesbaden, doesn't have a big problem with rubbish from revelers. There are sporadic incidents on the banks of the Rhine and in the Warmer Damm park in the city center and on Neroberg during celebrations. The city said that problems arose during the corona lockdown, especially at weekends when young people met. Since the relaxation of the corona measures, however, it has become less.

As a measure for more cleanliness, the city has taken the extra cleaning on Saturday and Sunday by the team responsible for the pedestrian zone. There is also the use of an additional sweeper. In addition, additional public waste baskets have been set up in Wiesbaden.

In Frankfurt, the situation is well under control at the moment, said a spokesman for Frankfurter Entsorgungs- und Service GmbH (FES). You use more teams and more vehicles, especially on the weekends. More wastebaskets have been set up at "neuralgic points" such as the banks of the Main.

After the end of the corona lockdowns, the situation improved, said the spokesman. There is still littering and pollution, for example at the well-known Friday evening meetings in the north end. Official celebrations are not a problem for the FES because they can be planned. "Unresolved" is the problem with loose bulky waste.