For a clean city, everyone must work together. Each individual should treat their own immediate surroundings and nature with care and bears responsibility for this. World Cleanup Day on September 20, an official United Nations day of action, puts the spotlight on this issue.

Carelessly discarded waste is a danger, as it has far-reaching ecological and economic consequences. Once the waste is in the environment, it can release pollutants or break down into small pieces that are dangerous for flora and fauna on land and in water.

The employees of the Aachener Stadtbetrieb city cleaning service work every day to keep Aachen clean. 138 employees work in two shifts, including at weekends, with small and large sweepers, flatbeds, bicycles and traditionally on foot with a wheelbarrow. Two of them, affectionately known as "Kehrmännchen" by the people of Aachen, are André Kogel and Leon Rademacher-Leroy. They clean streets, paths and squares with brooms, shovels and rakes. Keeping a constant eye out for litter in the city, they walk through Aachen's old town, collecting waste and emptying dozens of litter bins. "Many people appreciate our work," says André Kogel. But he also explains. "Unfortunately, we see waste thrown right at our feet time and time again."

Cleaning the old town's paving is particularly laborious and time-consuming. Cigarette butts in particular are difficult to remove from the joints. "Thousands of toxic substances are contained in cigarette butts and are washed into the groundwater by the rain," explains Manuela Wolf, a city cleaning officer at the municipal utility company. In recent years, Aachen's municipal services have already established various disposal options for butts. There are various litter bins in the city, some with ashtrays included, as well as the "Kippster", special litter garbage cans for cigarette butts. Due to the high demand and the good response, the city cleaning department installed additional Kippsters in the districts in September, bringing the total number to 24.

The municipal company carries out educational work in the area of waste separation and disposal as part of various offers and projects. Wolf emphasizes: "Urban cleanliness can only work if everyone acts together." For example, citizens can get involved in private waste collection campaigns: Clubs, daycare centers, schools or private groups can register with the city administration and receive waste bags and gloves for their volunteer work. Registrations are possible in the service portal: https://serviceportal.aachen.de/suche/-/vr-bis-detail/dienstleistung/5238760/show.

The city of Aachen has been committed to waste prevention and recycling for many years and in October 2021 was the second German city to sign the "Circular City Declaration", thereby declaring its support for the sustainable use of resources.