Garbage collection campaign in Borken: Together for a clean future!

Garbage collection campaign in Borken: Together for a clean future!

On March 15, 2025, numerous municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia start a garbage collection campaign to improve public cleanliness. These initiatives are a step towards sustainable development in urban areas and a reaction to the frequent littering, which is caused by bags, candy paper and, above all, cigarette butts every day. The WDR confirms that numerous cities, including Borken, will again perform large collection campaigns this year. The first of these actions took place on March 8, another is planned for today, March 15th. Participants receive garbage bags and pliers at collection points to actively contribute to cleanliness.

A central component of the garbage problem is cigarette butts that are the most common waste product every year with an estimated 4.5 trillion pieces. According to the NRW consumer center, these waste not only burden the environment, they also represent a serious danger to animals and people. Cigarette butts contain toxic substances such as nicotine, tar and microplasty that can affect the ecosystem.

The dangers of cigarette butts

The WHO states that two thirds of the smoked cigarettes are disposed of outdoors. These tilts pollute soils, water and endanger the health of animal organisms. Nicotine is a strong nerve poison, whose washing out of cigarette filters is possible within 30 minutes of heavy rain. A single cigarette stub can lead to poisoning fish in one liter of water and kill half of the fish within four days. The resulting contamination can also cause health damage in humans, in particular through the growth of poisonous blue algae, which is promoted by the chemical residues.

In Germany, around 100 to 140 million cigarette butts in nature are incurred annually. The disposal of these waste costs the municipalities around 225 million euros annually. This illustrates the enormous financial and ecological effort that arises from improper waste disposal. The Consumer Center NRW calls for a responsible disposal of cigarette butts, including the use of portable pocket bag cups and special throw -in options.

measures to improve the situation

In order to contribute to more responsible disposal, creative measures such as public campaigns and competitions to avoid waste can be taken. In addition, legal regulations are planned that could become binding in Germany from 2026. These relate to manufacturer obligations for disposal of disposable plastic products. However, there are concerns that complaints from plastic manufacturers could delay the progress of these regulations.

In order to effectively minimize the negative effects of cigarette waste, joint action and increased sensitization of the population are necessary. The combination of municipal actions such as today's garbage collection in Borken and the clarification of the environmentally friendly disposal of cigarette butts could help promote cleanliness in the cities and to avoid future environmental damage.