Kippensammeln zur Fußball-EM

In the organizer's words:

Soccer without cigarette butts

On the occasion of the European Football Championship, the non-profit company OCLEAN is organizing various free activities for environmentally conscious soccer fans young and old in front of the Rindermarkthalle in St. Pauli: On two days, butts lying around will be collected in a playful way and then exhibited on site as part of the art installation "Bathtub full of butts". OCLEAN will provide tongs, buckets and gloves. During the entire European Championship, smokers can also make their statement on soccer issues by throwing their cigarette butts into the voting ashtray - every cigarette butt counts.

One cigarette butt poisons up to 1,000 liters of water

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 106 billion cigarettes are smoked in Germany every year, of which up to two thirds end up carelessly on the ground. Among other things, cigarettes contain arsenic, lead, chromium, copper, cadmium, benzene and, of course, the neurotoxin nicotine. The rain washes these toxins out of the filters from the butts lying on the ground and washes them into the water. The effects on aquatic life range from genetic and behavioral changes to death. According to a study by the Technical University of Berlin, one cigarette butt alone poisons up to 1,000 liters of surface water - that's about six full baths. OCLEAN and Bremen artist Alexa Rasch want to draw attention to this with the "bathtub full of butts".

Reducing waste at public viewings

"We want to transfer knowledge and ensure that we all recognize the problem and are prepared to act together. But to do this, we have to rethink and leave our comfort zone. Without lecturing, we want to encourage people to take personal action during the European Football Championships and reduce their waste at public viewings, for example," explains Marie Pippert from OCLEAN. In 2023 alone, the OCLEAN team worked with 1,549 people to remove around four tons (3,984.7 kg) of waste from Hamburg's streets and green spaces. In addition to public clean-ups, OCLEAN offers inspiring team events for companies and organizations and organizes conscious events for young and old. OCLEAN's satisfied customers include Microsoft Germany, Tchibo, Facebook, Henkel and many other companies and brands.

About OCLEAN

Founded in 2019, the non-profit company OC LEANcontributes to a cleaner environment by raising awareness about waste, plastic waste and how to deal with it correctly .OCLEAN organizes public waste collection campaigns in and around Hamburg and offers team-building workshops and further training for companies, organizations and schools. OCLEAN was founded by the three Hamburg sisters Marie, Lena and Hannah Pippert. More information on booking and donations at www.OCLEAN.hamburg