This morning, the first cleanup took place at the Urban Park, the sports area, and the adjacent community garden area as part of the “Clean Up the World” campaign, organized by LegaAmbiente.
They rolled up their sleeves and—equipped with gloves, trash bags, “trash-grabbing” tongs, and plenty of good will—set to work cleaning up the parks and gardens of Castelfiorentino. This morning, four elementary school classes and several classes from the “Agriculture” program at Enriques High School, along with their tutors, the Youth City Council, and with the support of volunteers from the participating organizations, took part in the first event as part of the “Clean Up the World” environmental awareness campaign, promoted annually by LegaAmbiente based on an idea by Australian sailor Ian Kiernan.
Organized by the Municipality of Castelfiorentino in collaboration with Prociv Arci, Auser Filo Argento, Arcicaccia, the Educational Directorate of the Comprehensive School, and the “F. Enriques” High School, this year’s “Let’s Clean Up the World” campaign set a record for participation, to the point that three dates have been scheduled: in addition to today’s event, a second cleanup is already scheduled for October 2, and a third will take place in the spring of 2027, with an estimated total of about 400 participants, including pupils and students from Castelfiorentino’s schools.
The areas covered by the first cleanup were the “G. Bartali” Urban Park, the large lawn near the Palazzetto dello Sport, and the green space adjacent to the community gardens.To carry out the cleanup, durable gloves, “disposable” gloves, “trash-grabbing” tongs, and red bags (the latter for collecting cigarette butts) were distributed. For about two and a half hours, everyone worked tirelessly alongside mentors, teachers, and volunteers to collect paper scraps, plastic, small objects, and various types of trash within the designated area. Representing the municipal administration, Federico Nunziata, Councilor for Environmental Policy, and Marta Longaresi, Councilor for Educational Policy, were present and actively participated in the park cleanup. Also present was Stefano Busoni, President of LegaAmbiente Empoli, who emphasized the importance of recycling with the ambitious goal of a circular economy and “zero waste,” thereby minimizing the amount of waste sent to landfills as much as possible. “The municipal administration,” note Councilors Nunziata and Longaresi, “has always supported this initiative, with the deep conviction that it is necessary to foster opportunities for active citizenship and to reflect on the importance of environmental protection. Furthermore, it embodies the principles of vertical and horizontal continuity, offering an opportunity to engage with local organizations, citizens, and students from different grade levels. Over the past two years, we have succeeded in involving all school levels, increasing the number of events with each edition. Reaching 400 participants is a wonderful sign of encouragement for us, and we hope that this educational campaign in schools can also serve as an example for adults, helping us achieve a healthier environment and a cleaner home.” Background – “Clean Up the World,” which has since become one of the largest international environmental campaigns, originated in 1987 from an idea by Australian sailor Ian Kiernan, who, upon returning from a round-the-world sailing race, was particularly shocked and disgusted by the amount of trash he encountered constantly. For this reason, once he returned to Sydney, Kiernan decided to take action and began organizing a cleanup day in his city’s harbor. Thus, in 1989, “Clean Up Sydney Harbor Day” was born, attracting a massive turnout. Building on this great success, Ian Kiernan and his friends decided to mobilize the entire nation for a cleanup day: thus, in 1990, the first Clean Up Australia was born. The next step was to extend the Clean Up Australia concept to the rest of the world, which was launched for the first time in 1993.
