- Home
- / Services
- / The city works
- / Maintenance of Public Areas
- / Waste management and cleaning services
- / Zero Waste
- / Twenty tonnes of rubbish left on the eve of Sant Joan
Twenty tonnes of rubbish left on the eve of Sant Joan
Over 60,000 people took to the city’s beaches to celebrate midsummer’s eve in 2019 and, like every year, twenty tonnes of rubbish was also collected.
A 100 square metre section was closed off and signposted on Nova Icària beach on the day of Sant Joan so that the waste collected from the previous night could be piled up there. The site was marked out using stakes and rope, simulating a work of art from any museum. The idea was to offer a visible account of the enormous quantity of waste left on the beaches during the night of celebrations.
An extra effort was made in the days beforehand, from 17 to 23 June, to encourage people to enjoy the celebrations and at the same time take care of public space:
- Public address system at the beaches
- Social media
- Videos on MouTV
- Radio programmes
Extra awareness measures were also taken during the night of 23 June, informing people using the beaches about the need to separate waste correctly and leave it in the containers and litter bins provided.
- Theatre performances on the beach and along the seafront to raise public awareness of the need to separate waste properly (8 pm to 11 pm).
- Better signage for waste containers and litter bins.
Finally, on the day of Sant Joan, the following action was taken at the Nova Icària beach:
- Accumulation of rubbish in an area of 100 square metres fenced off with stakes and ropes, balloons and an information panel.
- Video shown at intervals on social media.
- Six monitors on hand from 9 am to 6 pm and another from 6 pm to 11 pm.
Tips for waste-free celebrations on the eve of Sant Joan
The beaches are fragile and vulnerable natural spaces which need to be looked after. It’s very important that everyone celebrating at the beach is aware that simple considerations and actions like the following go a long way:
- Separate waste, just like you do at home.
- Put your rubbish in the right container.
- Remember that the best waste is avoided waste: zero waste,
- Bonfires are not allowed.
- At 6 am the beach needs to be clear for the cleaning services to be able to do their work.
2018: Art created from the waste collected during Sant Joan
Part of the waste generated and collected in 2018 was used to build a 6-metre high recycled art sculpture called #ResiDofi with the help of beach-goers to raise public awareness about the considerate use of beaches.
