The Kopitoto and the Arboretum in the Vitosha Nature Park are favourite places for sports, walks and romantic meetings of the citizens of Sofia, but they are often polluted by various wastes. That’s why this Saturday, September 10, 2022, the two iconic locations were cleaned by over 35 volunteers. This is part of the #ChangeThePicture volunteer action . During the action 135 kg of waste were collected.
Dilyana Yakova told Radio Sofia more about the event. According to her, #ChangeThePicture is an initiative that aims to draw public attention to the pollution of nature by cigarette butts.
Regarding whether there are designated areas and bins for littering, she stated that there are not enough bins in the mountains, but people need to have self-awareness and not litter. Cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate, which is a type of bio-plastic, and it can take up to 15 years for a single vape to break down. Surveys show that only 13% of people know that filters are made of plastic, and 75% think it is paper or cotton.
“At first glance the Arboretum looks clean, but once you get off the main walkway the view is shocking. Most of the litter was wet wipes. We have the same problem with them, they are not just paper like the usual tissues, they also contain plastic,” said Yakova.
She said that the #ChangeThePicture in 2022 have placed visions on more than 40 Bulgarian beaches, and this year such visions have been placed on about 100 beaches. The campaign has gone urban, with travelling information exhibitions already being made.
More details can be heard in the sound file.
