More than 100,000 volunteers assembled to clear more than 350 tonnes of litter at the tenth edition of the "Grand Nettoyage" (or "Great Cleanup") in Wallonia, a significant rise from the 311 tonnes collected last year.
For ten years, many Walloon residents – from schools, sports clubs and youth movements, as well as businesses, associations and the general public – have been gathering over a long weekend to collect litter from streets, country lanes, rivers, and other areas.
This year marked the tenth edition of the Great Cleanup. The organisation called it "an anniversary that we would prefer not to celebrate" but noted that the action is the largest citizen mobilisation in Wallonia.
Over 30 kg of litter per kilometre was found this year, up from 25.37 kg per kilometre in 2023, the organising non-profit association Be WaPP said.
Credit: Belga
This is not as much as in 2017, when 38.04 kg/km was found. Until last year, the litter found in public spaces in Wallonia had been declining for several years. This trend reversed this year.
In detail, 238 tonnes of residual waste and 116 tonnes of plastic, metal and beverage cartons were cleared this edition. The most litter was cleared in the province of Hainaut, followed by the province of Liège.
The clean-up campaign took place from 21 to 24 March, covering 11,724 kilometres of public roads in Wallonia.
