Already this weekend, on April 27, the Great Talk will be held throughout Latvia with the motto “clean-green-long”. Anyone who cares about the sustainable development of the country and the opportunity to live in an unpolluted, beautiful environment is invited to participate. Careful preparation and following some practical tips are important for cleaning to be successful and safe.
According to the information provided by the Center for Environment, Geology and Meteorology of Latvia, April 27 will be warm and sunny in spring, but the sky will be covered by clouds for the time being. In some places, it will rain a little: in the morning, the probability of rain is higher in Kurzeme, and in the afternoon – in the east of the country. A light to moderate southerly wind will blow. In most of the territory, the maximum air temperature is expected within +10…+15°, in Zemgale and Latgale the thermometer could rise even a few degrees higher, but on the coast of Kurzeme the day will be cooler, the air will only warm up to +7… +10 there °.
WHERE TO TALK?
You can ask the Liela Talkas coordinator in the nearest municipality for your cleaning place (a list of coordinators is available HERE) or look for the most suitable place for you on the Liela Talkas map – www.talkas.lv. On the map, it is possible to easily view all officially registered cleaning sites organized by municipalities, educational institutions, organizations, companies, as well as volunteer enthusiasts. Choose the nearest or most interesting taluk and join it on April 27! Each registered cleaning site has a responsible person. Write down his phone number so that you can contact him if necessary.
INDIVIDUAL TYPES OF CLEANING
On the day of the Great Cleanup, it is also possible to clean up individually – in a SOLO cleanup or as a family. Those who want to go out into nature and clean up alone or in a smaller circle are invited to organize SOLO cleanups. They must be registered on the SOLO cleaning card, thus joining the large group of Latvian cleaners. SOLO cleaners must deliver a bag of collected waste to one of the nearest officially registered waste collection points marked on the map.
WHERE TO GET GARBAGE BAGS?
The participants of the public clean-up will be able to get the garbage bags of the Great Clean-up free of charge at the clean-up venue. During cleaning, garbage collection takes place only in the provided bags. Additional information about the bags is available from the specific county coordinator.
On the other hand, the participants of the individual taluks can get the bags in RIMI stores, shopping for any amount.
“We at Rimi believe that everyone’s involvement is essential, so we are pleased that we have been able to be by our side and support the Great Talk for several years, helping Latvia become cleaner and tidier. Also this year, we provide the opportunity in Rimi stores throughout Latvia receive 50,000 Solo cleaning bags, because we think it is important that everyone who wants to clean can get involved in cleaning. The experience of previous years shows that buyers take advantage of this opportunity in time, therefore we hope that this year too we will distribute all the bags of Solo cleanup before the Great Cleanup on April 27.” emphasizes Inga Bite, head of public relations at Rimi Latvia.
WHERE DO YOU LEAVE THE FILLED BAGS?
The relevant municipality is responsible for the collection and disposal of Liela Talka garbage bags. You must leave your filled bags only at the registered cleanup location and inform the person in charge of the cleanup about the location of the bags. In case of uncertainty, you should call the cleanup coordinator of your municipality.
WHAT TO DO WITH SUSPICIOUS WASTE AND DEAD ANIMALS?
If you see used injection syringes, bottles with chemical or undetectable solutions, batteries, as well as other dangerous waste while cleaning, do not touch them! The person in charge of cleaning is informed about the location of such items! But if you come across a dead animal while cleaning in nature or in the city area – do not touch it, report to the relevant municipality. On the other hand, if you see more than two injured or dead animals, report to the emergency service by calling 112.
HOW TO DRESS?
Be sure to use work gloves when cleaning! We recommend wearing long pants and a shirt or jacket with long sleeves. Wear closed-toe shoes with a hard, thick sole so that an unnoticed glass or sharp object does not enter your feet. Put a hat or scarf on your head. Such clothing will also protect against tick bites!
WHAT TO BRING?
When you go cleaning, be sure to bring your work gloves, your family members, friends, relatives, work colleagues, neighbors and most importantly – the joy of work!
SEE YOU ON APRIL 27!
Take into account that in the Great Taluk we invite you not only to collect garbage, but also to do other good deeds – plant trees, create wonderful flower beds, improve house yards, make bird cages, restore fences, benches, bridges… Let’s live beautifully! Enjoy yourself and others! Latvia MUST be green!
The Big Talk is organized by the association “Pēdas LV” in cooperation with the Latvian State Forests, the Union of Local Governments of Latvia, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, the Association of European Latvians. Supported by: Rimi, BluOr Bank, Mežpils alus, Spilva, Getliņi Eko, DHL, Latvian State Radio and Television Center.
About the Big Talk: Lielā Talka is the largest non-governmental movement in Latvia, which is based on voluntary participation in environmental cleaning, recovery and beautification, creating cohesion, positivity and a sense of a job well done. The tradition of the Great Cleanup began 16 years ago – with the cleanup on September 13, 2008, which was a gift from the population to Latvia on its 90th birthday. Over the course of 16 years, approximately 500,000 participants have participated in the cleanup, and compared to the first years of the cleanup, the amount of waste has decreased by more than half. In recent years, Liela Talka emphasizes the close connection between environmental education and the environment and human health, and more and more landscape and yard beautification works are also taking place.
Additional information:
Anna Blau
Head of communication of the big cleanup
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel.: +371 26433144
More about the Great Talk:
https://www.facebook.com/LielaTalka
https://www.instagram.com/lielatalka/
https://www.tiktok.com/@lielatalka
https://www.flickr.com/photos/lielatalka/albums/
