Picture this: you walk outside on a Friday morning, join a group of neighbors you have never met, and ninety minutes later your neighborhood is visibly cleaner. That is exactly what happened on May 30 in the center of Gulpen.
11 enthusiastic volunteers (plus a young mascot 🐾) started from the Aardaker and split into two teams. The result? A mountain of litter removed from the streets.
The dirtiest spots:
- The sports field and parking lot at Witteweg (five volunteers spent over an hour here alone!)
- The roadside along Ingbergrachtweg
- The roadside along Beversbergweg
- The green area near Anytime Fitness
What they found: plastic packaging, cigarette butts, cans, bottles, and also a cheese board 🧀, batteries, sponges, and three balls.
The best part? Most participants did not know each other beforehand. Afterwards, everyone chatted over drinks. And ten more residents have already signed up for next time.
Want to join or organize your own cleanup? Check the Waste page on the municipality website. You can sign up for one-time actions or register as a regular Zapper.
Here is what stood out: at the Witteweg sports field alone, a team of five volunteers spent over an hour non-stop picking up litter. This single location produced more waste than some full neighborhood cleanups in other municipalities. The municipality is now looking into whether extra bins or camera monitoring at this hotspot might be needed.
Source: Municipality
