Cleaning up Chynów

The concept is straightforward; volunteers gather at a given time and place, get gloves and bin bags, and set off to pick up rubbish. Last year, I took part in three of these, organised by Stowarzyszenie Przyjaciół Gminy Chynów (the association of friends of the Chynów municipality).

This year, there were 13 people taking part; we split into two groups. I was in the group cleaning up the street I know best from my countless walks to the the local shops – ulica Współna (lit. 'Common Street'). Until this afternoon, the street was blighted by hundreds, if not thousands, of empty vodka bottles, beer cars and energy-drink tins, along with cigarette packets, sweet wrappers and lesser detritus. A real eyesore. 

From school children and their sweet wrappers and young adults and their vape accessories through to the outdoor-drinking community, thoughtless littering is a feature of modern life. Volunteer clean-ups are an answer (the real answer is that everybody gets it in their head that you take your litter home with you or put it in a bin!). Below: cleaning up ul. Wspólna, the mayor of Chynów municipality, Piotr Bernaciak. By the by, it's amazing that he was elected less than six months ago – he has got so much done in such a short space of time.

The problem drinkers dump their empties by the road, in ditches, on the grass verges. Ideal fieldwork material for sociologists and market researchers. I notice the local geography of consumer preference; along ul. Wspólna, opposite the old Mirabelka supermarket, half-litre bottles of raspberry-flavour Soplica vodka predominate; further down Wspólna Cytrynówka Lubelska in 100ml małpki are the preferred tipple. Round the corner on ul. Kolejowa it's 200ml małpki of Żytniówka, while along ul. Wolska its the 100ml małpki of Żubrówka Biała that are found in greatest numbers. Beer in plastic bottles – an unusual material, associated with the cheapest brews like Kuflowe, is commonplace among the litter. When it comes to energy drinks, Black and Tiger are the brands with most thoughtlessly disposed-of containers

Below: the day's haul, from the two teams. An estimated tonne of rubbish, including 11 tyres, all properly disposed of at the PSZOK (Punkt Selektywnej Zbiórki Odpadów Komunalnych – Selective Municipal Waste Collection Point). Five kilometres walked (plus another five walking from home to the meet-up location and back).

It was good to sit down by a bonfire and grill kiełbasa along with other volunteers and their families. A happy, friendly atmosphere. Good people. Cleaning up after thoughtless folk.

"What we gotta do as the people – we got to get together and clean that up, you understand" – James Brown, Talkin' Loud And Sayin' Nothing (Complete Version).

This time five years ago:
Between the rains

This time eight years ago:

Towards a circular economy

This time nine years ago:
Ralph Vaughan-Williams - two song cycles

This time 17 years ago:
Spring scenes in Jeziorki

This time 18 years ago:
Modernist wheels

This time 19 years ago:
Mammatus clouds over Jeziorki